Sean Thomas Goodyear was born March 15, 2001, in Houston, TX, to David Goodyear and Maureen (Haas) Goodyear.

Sean was taken from us far too soon, but we are so grateful for the 24 years we were blessed to have him in our lives. With his kind and generous spirit, he left this world a better place than it was before. Sean was a sweet ray of love and light in our lives, and losing him has left a huge hole in our hearts.

Sean grew up with his family in Cypress, TX. In his early years, his favorite activities were building with Legos, family trips to the beach in Galveston, and spending a week each summer at his mom’s family home in Ashley, North Dakota. As he grew older, his interests expanded to include video games, hiking, and four-wheeling. Sean loved all animals, especially his mom’s cats in Texas and his dad’s beloved dog, Gennie, in South Dakota.

Sean attended Cypress Ranch High School where he graduated with honors in 2019. Throughout high school, Sean played the trumpet in the marching band and participated in several marching competitions each year. Outside of school, Sean was a Boy Scout for 12 years, ultimately achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. On his journey to Eagle Scout, he completed a challenging 10-day hiking and camping trek with his Dad at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. For his Eagle Scout project, Sean led the clearing of land and planting of more than 30 long-leaf pine trees in a Cypress-area Nature Preserve. It was his experiences in scouting that sparked Sean’s love for the outdoors.

After high school, Sean attended two years of college at North Dakota State University, then transferred in 2023 to Black Hills State University (BHSU) in Spearfish, SD. He graduated in 2025 with a major in Outdoor Education and a minor in psychology. He loved the Black Hills area and spending time at his dad and stepmom’s home in Lead, SD. It was there, in the beautiful landscape of the Black Hills, that Sean found his true passion for the outdoors and his future calling.

While attending BHSU, Sean worked as a Ninja Coach at the Spearfish Sports Academy, where he taught an after-school obstacle course fitness program inspired by the American Ninja Warriors television show. He truly cared about each of his young “Ninjas,” always striving to help them succeed while having fun..

As part of his coursework at BHSU, Sean partnered with a young man with special needs to design an outdoor activity program tailored to that young man’s abilities and goals. This experience had a profound impact on Sean that shaped his desire to work with children with special needs.

These experiences ultimately led Sean to his calling to become a special education teacher. He was infinitely patient, kind, and humble, and he possessed a natural ability to connect with children, qualities that would have made him an exceptional educator. Sean had just completed his first semester of graduate school, pursuing a master’s degree in Special Education, earning a place on the Dean’s List. He held deep appreciation and respect for his teachers and advisors at BHSU.

Sean is survived by his mother, Maureen Goodyear; his father and step mother, David and Cynthia Goodyear; and his siblings, Cameron and Gillian Goodyear.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, David and Sue Goodyear and Thomas and Jane Haas.

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,but by the number of moments that take our breath away.”