Lifelong Wood Flooring Pro John Pankratz Jr. of Kelly-Goodwin Dies at 63
In 1974, when he was 14 years old, John began working weekends and summers in the family’s business, Kelly-Goodwin Company of Seattle. One of his first jobs was to lay out, stain, and wax thousands of square feet of antique textured parquet for a shopping mall project. During that same summer, he also worked with his brother and stepbrother on many of the gymnasium projects that were under way in Alaska as part of the pipeline agreements.
Working almost all positions at Kelly-Goodwin, John steadily moved up to head the purchasing department and manage inventory control. He eventually became part of the senior management team, where he helped grow the company from one to eventually seven distribution warehouses throughout Washington, Oregon, and Montana. Kelly-Goodwin’s distribution map also included Alaska, Idaho, and Hawaii. The company eventually closed on Dec. 20, 2012, in the aftermath of the Great Recession.
John was a fixture at NWFA conventions and attended 26 consecutive conventions until Kelly-Goodwin closed. He was known throughout the industry for his good nature, and his friendly demeanor. “John was the guy that always had a smile on his face and made you feel like a trusted friend,” said an industry colleague. “He always asked about the family and how you were doing. He was a big man with a big heart and a big smile!”
John passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on March 14, 2024. He was 63 years old.
