MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee community mourns Henry "Happy" Goodlow, killed in pedestrian crash on West Burleigh
A Milwaukee man known to nearly everyone by his nickname, "Happy," was struck and killed while crossing a street on the city's north side Friday night, and his family says his death leaves a void that cannot be filled.
Henry Goodlow, 73, was crossing West Burleigh Street near 48th Street just after 11:15 p.m. Friday when he was struck by a westbound vehicle. He died at the scene, according to Milwaukee police.
The driver, a 44-year-old man, remained at the scene and was later arrested. Charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney.
For those who knew him, Henry Goodlow was rarely called by his given name. To the community, he was simply "Happy" — a nickname his family says he earned every day of his life.
Watch: Milwaukee family mourns Henry 'Happy' Goodlow, killed in pedestrian crash on West Burleigh Street
"People knew him for years; they probably wouldn't know his name was Henry because they always knew him by Happy. And he was always happy too," his brother, Charles Goodlow, said.
Charles described his brother as kind, well-known throughout the community, and a man of faith.
"My brother was a nice guy, you know, in those days, everybody—he was well known," Charles said.
The news of Henry's death arrived in the middle of the night — a phone call Charles says no family is ever prepared to receive.
"I answered the phone, and she said that uh she was crying and she told me that uh our brother was dead," Charles said.
Even in grief, the Goodlow family says they are choosing compassion over anger, extending forgiveness to the driver rather than harboring resentment. At the same time, the family hopes Henry's death serves as a reminder for drivers to exercise caution.
When asked how the community will remember Happy, Charles had no hesitation.
"They're gonna remember that, that he was happy, he was fun to be around, you know, uh, if you ask somebody about him, you will always get something positive. You wouldn't get negative about him," Charles said.
Peter Schienke, who has lived on the block for more than five decades, says the intersection near 48th and Burleigh has long been a concern for residents.
“I've lived here in this block. I've lived here for 53 years,” Schienke said.
Schienke says speeding and reckless driving are common in the area, even on nearby residential streets.
“People are driving so fast and so recklessly… especially up on 48th here, you'll see it sometimes too on the residential streets, which is 25 an hour—but people are constantly just driving like a bat out of hell, actually,” he said.
He believes the layout of the intersection itself may contribute to the problem.
“It's a horrible designed street. I've always thought that,” Schienke said.
Schienke says changes to the intersection — like additional stop signs — could help slow drivers down.
“Actually, there should be another stop sign right there… a three-way stop sign because of the design of the street. The design of the street is very weird,” he said.
After learning about the fatal crash, Schienke said the news was heartbreaking.
“It's a shame… everything about it is just sad,” he said.
Henry's death is a loss that carries particular weight for Charles Goodlow, who says he has now buried three brothers in roughly a year.
"I'm holding up the best I can by losing three brothers in about a year... So back to back, I'm burying a brother. I'm gonna miss him," Charles said.
His family's message to Milwaukee is simple: remember the name so many already knew him by — Happy.
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