Anita Goodall

Anita C. Goodall, founder and president of the Anita G brand, passed away after suffering a major stroke on May 17, 2016. She was 67. Goodall was also a five-time breast-cancer survivor who attributed her 17 years of cancer remission to God.

Goodall worked with husband Jerry Goodall, her partner in life for over 28 years, to build the Anita G brand, which began with women’s clothing and evolved into Girl Friends and 405 South by Anita G, a children’s clothing and swimwear line. In 2002, Goodall started the Step by Step Foundation to provide shoes, clothing and necessities to impoverished children throughout the world. “Many children in developing countries grow up without ever having owned a pair of shoes,” she said. “Not wearing shoes puts these children at risk of injury, disease, immobility and, in many cases, they are kept from attending school. Our mission and heart is to help these children feel loved and to provide some basic needs like a new pair of shoes.”

“Anita was so generous,” said Jerry Goodall. “She always said she got so much more joy out of giving things away than she did from selling stuff. She had an amazing heart for people in need, and we plan to keep the Step by Step Foundation going.”

To donate or to read more about Goodall’s foundation, visit stepbystepfoundation.org.