GINGER L. (GOODRICH) RADER

August 5, 1947 to , January 5, 2022

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Ginger's Obituary

Ginger Lee (Goodrich) Rader was born on August 5, 1947 in Monterey Park, California and died in Oklahoma City on January 5, 2022 due to complications from Covid. A beloved mother and grandmother, Ginger was also a devoted Drug and Alcohol counselor who pioneered compassionate modes of art therapy in various clinics throughout Oklahoma.

Although born in California, Ginger grew up in Oklahoma City, graduating from Putnam City High School in 1965. That same year, she enrolled at Southwestern State College in Weatherford, where she was a cheerleader and a member of Sigma Kappa sorority. While at Southwestern, she met and married Gary Rader. In 1967, she gave birth to a son, Gary Dean Rader II and in 1971 had a daughter Amy Genelle Rader. Ginger loved being a mom. She was a den mother for Dean’s Cub Scouts, a troop leader for Amy’s Brownies, an eager driver to many baseball games, Punt, Pass and Kick tournaments, and endless piano lessons. A childhood friend of Amy’s described her as “a mother to us all.” One time, while her son and his friends were playing football in the front yard, she did a series of back flips in the middle of their game. She could do a one-and-a-half gainer off a diving board, then bake chocolate chip cookies. Her warm, welcoming presence was radiant, and she made their home a gathering place for friends, neighbors, and family.

Ginger went back to college in the early 80s and graduated from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in 1985 with majors in psychology and arts education. A year later, she earned a Master’s Degree in Education from Southwestern and immediately began a career as a therapist. Over her 30-year tenure as a counselor, she worked in a wide array of settings, including the University of Oklahoma Psychiatric Unit, the Valley Hope Intensive Outpatient Clinic, the Oakcrest Psychiatric Hospital, and perhaps most notably at Canadian County Youth and Family Services, where she received statewide recognition for her pioneering work with the Art Therapy program she established. Since 2013, she served as a Supervisor and Substance Abuse Counselor at Covenant Youth and Family Counseling Services in Oklahoma City. Ginger was a much-sought after therapist, often choosing to work with youth with especially difficult family lives and complicated addictions. Later in her career, she became a talented and knowledgeable supervisor who trained a host of future counselors. She was also beloved for her personalized art, which she gave to dozens, perhaps hundreds, of friends, clients, and supervisees.

As much as she loved her clients, patients, and supervisees, she loved her family even more. Ginger was a caring and devoted daughter, a loving and supportive wife, a fun and try-anything mother, and a doting grandmother. Nothing brough her more joy than spending time with her two granddaughters and two grandsons. Her grandkids adored their “Mimi” and loved doing arts and crafts with her. Countless hours were spent with grandchildren painting rocks, building Legos, playing games, building gingerbread houses, and making cookies. She was the hand's on, sit in the middle of the floor, get your hands dirty, spunky, play with the kids type of mom and grandma.

Ginger is preceded in death by her father, Ferman Goodrich and mother Ocaleta Johnson. She is survived by her brother, John Goodrich and his wife Saundra Goodrich; daughter Amy Rader Kice, her husband Adam Kice, and their daughters Ella Rader Kice and Simone Olive Kice; and son, Dean Rader, his wife Jill Ramsey, and their sons Gavin Dean Rader and Henry Michael Rader.

Ginger never asked for much from this world. And, yet she showed us all how to be generous, compassionate and strong. When she was in pain, she smiled and powered on. When others were in pain or suffering, she never judged their choices. And, even though each step, each breath became hard for her, she found the strength every day to go out and help others. A lifelong Christian, her life demonstrated the true meaning of Christianity. She bought her clients meals, drove them to appointments, and helped them get on their feet; often giving them pots, pans, plates, and silverware. The values she lived every day were a testament of God’s love for her and her faith in God. She lived a life of service and compassion, and those traits will live on in all who knew her.

Ginger did not want a funeral; rather a party! So, a celebration of life will be held in the early summer in Oklahoma City. To be notified of details for Ginger’s celebration of life, contact dean.rader@gmail.com.