David Franklin Good

Bloomington, MN - David Franklin Good - husband, father, grandfather, friend, professor, economic historian, music lover, philanthropist, traveler and more - passed away peacefully on April 25, 2026, at Friendship Village in Bloomington, Minnesota. A lifelong Midwesterner, David grew up in Kewanee, Illinois, and came from a long line of furniture retailers. His grandfather founded Good's Furniture in 1895 and the family business continues to serve the community today. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gladys Hackman Good and Everett Oliver Good, his brothers James Trevor Good and Philip Hackman Good, and his grandson Alexander David Barosko. David majored in history at Wesleyan University. After his junior year, he studied abroad in Vienna, where he first met Rosemary, his wife of nearly 60 years. David completed an MBA in Business at the University of Chicago in 1967, and a PhD in Economic History from the University of Pennsylvania in 1972. During 1969-70, he was awarded an Austrian Fulbright grant for dissertation research in Vienna, Austria. David joined the faculty at Stockton State College of New Jersey and later the faculty of Temple University School of Business in Philadelphia. In 1989, he joined the University of Minnesota Department of History, where he served as the Director of its Center for Austrian Studies and later as Chair of the Department. David was named Professor Emeritus upon his retirement from the University in 2007. David also held academic positions at Central European University in Budapest and Hope College Vienna Summer School. In 1986, he was named Honorary Professor of Economic History at the University of Vienna. His book, The Economic Rise of the Habsburg Empire, 1750-1914, was published in 1985 by University of California Press. Music filled David and Rosemary's household; their daughter Allison Barosko is a violinist, their son Adam Good is a specialist in Balkan and Turkish music, and David and Rosemary have been enthusiastic participants in music and the arts programs in the Twin Cities. The Rosemary and David Good Family Foundation has generously supported the arts and social justice in the Twin Cities and in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Rosemary was raised. In retirement, David found joy with his grandchildren and in memoir writing, hiking, canoeing, ballroom dancing, exploring northern Minnesota, extensive world travel, and a deepened interest in the history of the American Midwest. David is survived by his wife Rosemary Hekman Good; daughter Allison (James) Barosko in Minneapolis, MN; son Adam (Galina Kurlat) Good in Brooklyn, NY; and six grandchildren, Daniel, Jack, Evan, Dora, Sia, and David. Memorials may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis or The Center for Austrian Studies at the University of Minnesota. A private memorial service was held for the family.

David Franklin Good

March 2, 1943 - April 25, 2026

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