Wade Goodwyn Obituary: NPR Reporter Passes Away Due To Cancer

Posted by Brenda Moya on Friday, May 3, 2024

On Thursday, June 8, 2023, NPR shared the Wade Goodwyn obituary. He passed away at the age of 63 after battling with cancer.

Goodwyn worked as a reporter for over 30 years at NPR.

He belonged to Texas and dedicated 25 years of his life to reporting for his home state and the southwestern region of the United States.

In his prolonged career, he had covered some big news of the state, including the Oklahoma City bombing, the American Sniper murder trial, and as well as natural disasters.

One of his notable stories, which later inspired the movie, ‘American Violet,’ involved a wrongly accused single mother during a drug sweep.

Goodwyn’s storytelling was commendable because of his deep voice, clear accent, and captivating writing.

As the NPR highlighted on Thursday, during his coverage of Hurricane Rita in 2005, Goodwyn wrote and delivered the following line:

“In Louisiana, you hug your NASCAR teddy bear when the big blow comes, even if you’re a barrel-chested National Guardsman.”

In a 2016 article published by Current, it was mentioned that Goodwyn attended the University of Texas but later relocated to New York to work as a political organizer.

However, after listening to the NPR station during his daily commute, he got inspired to pursue a career change.

Goodwyn managed to secure meetings with network staff members through persuasive communication.

He eventually returned to Texas as a freelance journalist.

In 1993, he had a significant breakthrough when he got the chance to assist in covering the Branch Davidian standoff in Waco.

Goodwyn had a distinctive approach to storytelling, aiming to provide listeners with vivid details even in the case of breaking news.

He also produced memorable feature stories, including one in 2017 about a Dallas street choir that had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall.

NPR highlighted that this particular story moved some listeners to tears.

Goodwyn retired from the network in April.

Wade Goodwyn’s passion for radio storytelling

Wade Goodwyn’s passion for radio storytelling drew him toward a career in journalism.

As the son of renowned historian Lawrence Goodwyn, who actively participated in the civil rights movement and authored books on grassroots populism in America, Wade’s inclination towards history was natural.

After graduating from the University of Texas, he ventured into New York City as a political organizer, where he became captivated by NPR member station WNYC.

The voices and stories he encountered there left a deep impression on him, leading him to pursue a freelance public radio career upon returning to Texas.

Goodwyn commenced his journey by freelancing for NPR, and in 1993, he was assigned to cover a significant event—the standoff between cult leader David Koresh and the federal government in Waco, Texas.

Wade Goodwyn obituary does not include the details of his funeral service.

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