Beverly Mourns Loss Of Longtime High School Teacher, Coach

BEVERLY, MA — Beverly High School students, staff and families are mourning the death of longtime teacher and coach Ben Goodhue. Goodhue had battled brain cancer since 2017. He was 45.

Goodhue, a physical education teacher at Beverly High since 2007, experienced a recurrence of the rare brain cancer glioblastoma last year.

His family announced Goodhue's death on the Facebook page "GoodhueStrong" set up to keep the friends in Beverly and Gloucester — where Goodhue coached football — updated on his condition.

"Today the world lost one superhero of a guy," the family posted. "Ben was the definition of a fighter. Four years of ups and downs, he was called home to Heaven.

"A beloved husband, father, son and brother. In extension of that: teacher, coach, colleague, neighbor, run partner, friend and role model. To say that Ben will be missed is a vast understatement. Your presence will forever be felt in all those you impacted. We love you forever, Ben."

The Gloucester Athletic Department said on Thursday: "We lost a great one yesterday. Coach Ben Goodhue, you truly left a mark on so many, and we are so thankful for the impact you had on the many student-athletes through the years. Our sincere condolences go out to Ben's family & all that had the privilege to know Ben. RIP Coach."

Goodhue underwent surgery for glioblastoma in 2017 and returned to teach at Beverly High School. But, according to a GoFundMe page set up to benefit the family, it was during a routine scan last summer that it was found that cancer had returned.

The GoFundMe page had raised $88,808 of its $100,000 goal as of Thursday. A line of GoodhueStrong gear was also sold to benefit the family.

Goodhue leaves behind his wife, Sarah, and two children, Maggie, 4, and Charlotte, 1.

In July, a #GoodhueStrong 3-on-3 basketball tournament was held at the McPherson Teen Center.

Goodhue was out in the community as recently as Friday when he attended the Gloucester/Hamilton-Wenham football game in a wheelchair.

This Jamie Anderson quote was posted on the Facebook page along with the notification of Goodhue's death:

"Grief, I've learned is really just love. It's all the love you want to give but cannot. All of that unspent love gathers up in the corner of your eyes, the lump in your throat, and in that hollow part of your chest.

"Grief is just love with no place to go."

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(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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