Hector Goodwin was a World War II veteran.

He was in the Merchant Marines, and those brave men and women took tremendous risks to keep this country’s vital shipping lines open.

They were subject to attack from submarines, dive bombers and surface boats.

In fact, Goodwin’s ship was ripped apart in one such attack. He was rescued by the British, but some wounds never seem to heal.

Goodwin suffered from what is now known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In November of 1968, Hector Goodwin killed himself.

Peggy Goodwin, who is a city commissioner in Royal Oak, was just six years old when her father died. Her sister, Christina, was nine.

"People always say that kids are flexible and they bounce back, and that is true in a sense," said Goodwin. "But I believe that some of the feelings don't really manifest themselves until you get older. You hold things in and eventually you have to talk to someone; I know that was the case with me.”

Hector Goodwin was a very intelligent man. He was also very protective of his daughters and his wife, Elizabeth. The family lived in Huntington Woods.

"Ours was like a Brady Bunch street with all the kids having moms and dads," said Goodwin. "We obviously were a little different.

"Suicide was a very taboo subject. You couldn't talk about it. It was hard to reach out to anyone," said Goodwin. "By the time my dad was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, it had manifested itself into alcoholism and other mental illnesses. I know he did seek help eventually.”

Getting help is what the Mind Over Matter (MOM) Race is all about. When it debuted nine years ago as a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention and mental health, 300 people showed up for the 5K run. This past year, more than 1,100 people participated. To date, more than $120,000 has been raised for research and prevention, and countless lives have been touched.

On Saturday, May 3, the 2014 MOM Race was held at Starr Jaycee Park in Royal Oak, which is located on the south side of 13 Mile Road just east of Crooks.

The four children of Gail Boledovich are the ones behind the MOM Race. Their mom, who had battled mental illness, was lost to suicide on May 1, 2005, just days before her 49^th birthday.

The race title sponsor was once again the Forget-Me-Not Thrift Store in Lincoln Park. Business owner Kim Gross lost her daughter-in-law, Karen Gross, to suicide in January 2009. Kim Gross donates all her store’s proceeds to mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs, including MOM.

Julie (Boledovich) Farhat is the race founder and executive director. Farhat is involved with Royal Oak SAFE, a collaborative task force founded by Goodwin that works to promote mental health and wellness. 

For more information on the MOM Race, visit www.MOMrace.org