JAMES J. GOODELL

James Jay Goodell, 61, of Des Moines passed away on Thursday, June 18, 2026 in Des Moines.
Jay was born July 24, 1964 to James Eugene Goodell and Helen Ann (Sawyer) Goodell at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Dodge. He was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church, Humboldt.
He attended the Humboldt School system and graduated in May of 1983. He attended Iowa Central Community College, Fort Dodge and earned an AAS degree in horticulture and farm operations. He continued his education at Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO earning a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Design. He was the landscape designer at Drake University for 20 years and received recognition for his work for the University in September of 2004.
In the spring of 2023 he returned to Humboldt and went into business with his brother and best friend Joel Goodell at their shop named “Dino Don’s”. Jay truly loved his family and friends, always gave 110% in everything he did and loved everything about nature. He could always take something and make it look better.
Jay is survived by his siblings; Jane (Tim) Zabka, Julie (Terry) Austin, Jill (Bob) Owen, Joy (Justin) Kirchhoff, Jolyn Garner and Joel (Cindy) Goodell. He loved his many nieces and nephews very much. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother in law’s, Tim Conlan and Keith Garner and nephew Matthew Conlan.
Memorial services will be held at a later date in Humboldt.