Therrell M. Goswick

Mr. Therrell M. Goswick, 80, a well-known resident and public servant, passed away on Monday, September 4, 2023, at AdventHealth Gordon.

Therrell was born in Gordon County, Georgia, the son of the late Miller and Thelma Overton Goswick. He was a graduate of Calhoun High School, where he excelled in football and baseball. Before retirement, he was Chief Investigator with the Gordon County Sheriff's Department. He was a member of Heritage Baptist Church and Sonora Masonic Lodge #221 F&AM from where he recently received his 55 year pin.

Mr. Goswick formerly served as Chief of the Calhoun Police Department. Under his leadership the department was selected as the Number 2 law enforcement agency in Georgia, under the strict "Zero-Tolerance" policy guidelines. Chief Goswick was also selected to serve, by the Office of the Governor, on the All-Hazards Council of the Office of Homeland Security. Before that, in addition to his duties as Chief, he served as Director of Homeland Security for the City of Calhoun, Georgia.

Mr. Goswick, a retired Army Sergeant Major, served over 28 years in the military and retired as an active-duty Georgia Army National Guardsman. Before retirement, he was Field Operations Coordinator for the Georgia Department of Defense Counter Drug Task Force. His prior assignments include The Drug Demand Reduction Administrator for Georgia and as the military liaison to the United States Treasury Department at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, Georgia.

He was the Special Operations Officer for The Governor's Strike Force on Drugs and Violent Crime and The Governor's Task Force on Drug Suppression. Chief Goswick is a former Georgia State Trooper with 29 years of law enforcement experience on the local, state, and federal levels. He has served on several Executive Protection details, including a former President and three former Governors for an extended period. He organized and implemented a special operations team composed of military special operations officers, which has been used extensively by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for high-risk and technical narcotics surveillance. This team was recognized as one of the finest in the United States and represents the ultimate mix of civilian and military law enforcement in the counter drug and law enforcement arena.

Chief Goswick has been involved in law enforcement training since 1977 on both the state and federal levels. He taught at The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Georgia State Troopers School, Georgia Police Academy, and Costal Police Academy, and The Georgia Public Safety Training Center. He served on the Control Board of The Northwest Georgia Law Enforcement Training Center. Militarily, he has instructed in numerous special operations courses to include surveillance, reconnaissance, raid tactics, firearms, physical techniques, and airborne counter drug operations. He had also instructed in the Army NCOES and OCS programs. He was previously assigned as the Joint Operations Sergeant Major, State of Georgia and was the NCOIC of the Command and Control Center for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

He graduated from The School of Banking at the University of Georgia with postgraduate studies at Louisiana State University. He has studied Criminal Justice at DeKalb College. He graduated from The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Georgia State Troopers School, Georgia Police Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Drug Investigator's Course, and The National Inter-agency Counter Drug Institute. He graduated with Honors from the United States Army Sergeants Major Academy and numerous other Military and Law Enforcement courses.

Survivors include his loving wife, Connie Goswick; daughter, Lori Goswick Sutton, and husband, Donnie Krista Parker and husband Eddie; son, Kevin Cantrell, and wife Alicia; grandchildren, Jessica (Marshall) Szabo, Phillip Parker, Jill Parker, Gabby and Izzy Cantrell, Adam Sutton, and Braden Sutton-Zikafoose; great-grandchildren, Sunny, Wes, and Charlotte; sister, Faye Worley, and special nephew, Shane Parrott, along with other nieces, nephews and other relatives.

A service to celebrate his life will be held Thursday, September 7, 2023, at 3:00 PM from Heritage Baptist Church with Rev. Shane Parrott officiating. Carmen Free Green will be in charge of the music. Active pallbearers serving will include Donnie Sutton, Phillip Parker, Adam Sutton, Braden Sutton-Zickafoose, Marshall Szabo, Conner Bailey, and David Duvall. Honorary pallbearers are Sharon Jolley,  Darrin Smith, Frank Andrews, Chief Mike Jones, Lester Rampy, Kevin Phipps, William Tyner, Calhoun Police Department, Gordon County Sheriff Department and Georgia State Patrol and current and former members of Georgia Counter Drug Task Force.

Burial will follow in Fain Cemetery with military honors accorded by the United States Army Honor Guard and full Masonic graveside rites.

The family asks that instead of flowers, memorial contributions may be given in his memory to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital by clicking the link below.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, September 7th, from 11:00 AM until the funeral hour of 3:00 PM at Heritage Baptist Church.

The Brannon family and staff are honored to serve the family of Therrell M. Goswick