Goff leaves fighter legacy in Medford

Medford’s Angelica Goff, 41, passed away in her home last week after a nearly three-year battle with stomach cancer.

The beloved mother, friend, and passionate Medford Tigers fan fought through an initial diagnosis in October 2022 that predicted a lifespan of one year to watch her son, Luis Lopez, walk the stage at Medford High's 2024 graduation ceremony and send him off to Luther College last fall.

“She was in the front row, right behind us. That was her first goal when we got the diagnosis. She was really nervous, and what she really wanted was to see me cross the stage. Now we’ve crossed that off, and the next one is for her to see me graduate college,” said Lopez at his graduation two years ago.

I had the honor of following Goff’s journey over the years, witnessing her incredible fighter’s spirit as she stayed positive in the face of great adversity.

She spoke with love and excitement every chance she had to talk about Luis and her husband, Casey Goff.

There was never a sense of doubt or uncertainty – when she set goals, she reached them.

Just as special as her resiliency was the support from her family.

One of the fondest memories I’ve had in my four years of covering sports in Steele County was witnessing Lopez run to his mother after winning his wrestling match against Maple River/USC during Medford’s Tackle Cancer Night in 2023.

A gym at maximum capacity felt much smaller that night. The vulnerability of a young man tuning everything and everyone else out to express his appreciation for his mother.

It’s those moments that live on forever.

Goff received some good news last Christmas Eve when doctors reached out.

“My parents opened the letter Christmas Eve while they had some friends over. I was at a movie at the time, and my dad sent me a picture of the letter. It said, ‘It looks like you’re having a good response to treatment. The pelvic masses are decreasing in size and the fluid around the lungs has resolved. We will continue the current treatment and monitor.’ As soon as I read that, it felt like it wasn’t real. When we first got the diagnosis, the doctors thought it was uncurable and thought maybe we had a year. Now, we’re past a year, and the chemotherapy is working. It’s just a great feeling. So when we heard the news, it was pretty emotional at my house,” said Lopez.

The choice to fight through tough chemotherapy and give her treatment everything she had resulted in blowing the doctors’ predictions right out of the water.

Her mindset also inspired Lopez to fight through his own battles.

“Ever since it happened, she told me right away, ‘This isn’t going to stop us. We’re going to keep fighting.’ That’s what my family is about: We’re fighters. Nothing is going to tear us down until we physically can’t move anymore,” said Lopez.

Goff’s passing leaves a sizable hole in the hearts of all the lives she touched, but also serves as a clear example of strength, resiliency and the power of love.

We at the Steele County Times extend our sincerest condolences to the Goff and Lopez families.