Leland Goodsell was born in Missoula, Montana, and partially raised with two sisters in an orphanage. He was scrappy and unruly from a youngster but full of laughs and jokes. He was fearless and funny and would attempt just about anything.
In his jobs — from trucker, to mechanic, to shopping mall construction foreman — Lee had a long history of hard work and hard play. He began smoking at 11 and had a newspaper route then, too. In Yreka, he ran a recycling business with his wife and stepson. His wife died of pancreatic cancer in his arms, and their son overdosed that week; he buried them a week apart. Devastated, he took his young pup Dreamer and hit the road, landing in Santa Cruz and then Santa Barbara, where he ensconced himself in Pershing Park’s homeless group with Gator and Shaky around 2009. Dreamer performed tricks, including lasso rope tricks and chasing tree rats out of the camp.
Leland repaired bikes and wheelchairs for our street outreach, helping many homeless people. He was gracious with kids, creating or buying toys for them on holidays. His handy mechanic abilities helped some Westmont student’s cars and other teams serving in the streets.