The Legacy of ‘Goode’ Service in Phoenix

Every city has a story, and woven into Phoenix’s is a family whose service and leadership helped shape the City we know today. For Anthony "Kerry" Goode, that story is deeply personal.

“I am an Arizona native, so I was kind of raised around the City,” Kerry said. “My grandfather did 30 years with the Public Works Department. My uncle (Calvin Goode), of course, everyone knows him. He did 11 consecutive terms, 22 years with the City.”

In the Goode family, service was not just a value. It was a way of life.

“Community was always something that was big and was an example that was shown to us growing up,” Kerry said. “So working at the City allowed us opportunities to help out our community.”

Today, that example of service continues through Kerry's own career with the City of Phoenix. He has worked for the City for more than 20 years and currently serves as a senior user technology specialist at the Phoenix Convention Center. With a background in IT and a degree in computer science and networking, Kerry plays a behind-the-scenes role that helps keep one of the City’s most active public spaces running smoothly.

Early in his career, Kerry was guided by the example of his uncle, Calvin Goode, the legendary Phoenix City Councilman, civil rights advocate, and educator whose legacy is honored across the City today.

“When I first started, I would always see him at City Hall, in the halls, and it was just always nice seeing him,” Kerry said. “But outside of being a City Councilman, he was a great uncle.”

One memory in particular has stayed with Kerry since childhood.

“In sixth grade, we were having a parade at our school, and he had a Model T, an old Model T car,” Kerry said. “I was like, I bet you my uncle would come there. And we looked up his phone number in the Yellow Pages and we called him. Sure enough, he picked up. I said, ‘Hey, we’re having this parade. Would you bring your car?’ And surprisingly, he said yes.”

Calvin Goode drove the car to the school with the top down, alongside Kerry's aunt Georgie, and let his nephew ride with him in the parade.

“So I got to ride with him,” Kerry said. “So I was the man that day. It was a great memory of him.”

Today, Calvin Goode’s lifetime of service is honored across Phoenix, from a downtown building that bears his name to a mural in Eastlake celebrating his legacy and the community he helped shape.

“Eastlake is an important part of our history, an important part of our community,” Kerry said. “So seeing this is amazing. It just brings a smile and pride to my heart.”

For Kerry, the legacy is not just about history or recognition. It is about carrying that sense of responsibility forward in everyday work.

“Remembering our history, remembering where our parents and grandparents came from and the struggle that they went through to try to make things better for us,” he said. “When our name is spoken, you know I’m bringing something positive to our name and something that would make my grandfather and my uncle proud.”

In neighborhoods like Eastlake and in the quiet, consistent work of public service across Phoenix, that legacy continues to live on. For Kerry, that legacy is simple, meaningful, and deeply rooted in family.

“I definitely take pride in them,” he said. “And I would hope that they’d be proud of me.”