Most people first hear the name Trunnis Goggins through his son David — a former Navy SEAL turned endurance athlete and bestselling author. David Goggins is widely recognized in motivational and sports culture, and his public accounts of his childhood have made his father’s name a frequent search topic.
But Trunnis Goggins had his own documented life. He was a Buffalo businessman with a working-class background, a family business with local roots, and a story that goes beyond his role in his famous son’s memoir. This article focuses on what is actually confirmed about Trunnis — who he was, what he built, and what we know about his family.
Who Trunnis Goggins Was
Trunnis Goggins was not a public figure or celebrity in his own right. He was a Buffalo, New York businessman, known locally for running a roller-skating venue for many years.
He is best known today as the father of David Goggins, who was born in 1975 to Trunnis and Jackie Goggins. Public interest in Trunnis is almost entirely driven by David’s memoir, Can’t Hurt Me, and the interviews and public discussions that followed its release.
That context matters. Most online searches for Trunnis Goggins are really searches for background on David’s life. Understanding who Trunnis actually was — separate from his son’s narrative — requires looking at his obituary and local records rather than secondhand biography pages.
Skateland and His Life in Buffalo
Trunnis Goggins owned and operated a roller-skating venue in Buffalo, New York. According to his obituary published through the Buffalo News, the rink originally opened in the early 1960s at 1300 Main Street. It later operated as New Skateland Arena on East Ferry Street.
Skateland was more than just a place to skate. The obituary notes that live performers appeared at the venue, including Gladys Knight, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick. That list reflects how the rink served as a community entertainment space, not simply a recreational facility.
This does not make Trunnis a figure in the national entertainment industry. He was a local businessman who created a venue where notable performers appeared over the years. It is a meaningful piece of Buffalo’s cultural history, but it is worth keeping in proportion.
Still, building and running that kind of business for decades is a real accomplishment. Skateland was a recognized part of the local community during a time when venues like that served as important gathering spaces.
His Early Life and Work Before Skateland
Trunnis did not start out as a business owner. His obituary describes a working-class early life that shaped who he became.
According to the obituary, he began shining shoes at age nine. He later worked in a chicken factory, changed tires, and drove trucks delivering both chickens and Coca-Cola. That is a straightforward picture of someone who worked his way up from very modest beginnings.
That background adds useful context. Trunnis built his skating business from a starting point that had nothing to do with business or entertainment. Whatever his personal flaws or strengths, the path from shining shoes as a child to running a Buffalo venue that hosted nationally recognized performers reflects a real climb.
The obituary does not expand on his education, religious life, or finances, so those details are not covered here.
His Family — Spouse and Children
According to his obituary, Trunnis Goggins was survived by his wife, Susan A. Greene. He also had two sons — Trunnis II and David Goggins — and four daughters: Terasa Gipson, Salina Lebris, Anita Goggins, and Marina White.
The obituary is the clearest source for this confirmed family list. It is worth separating those facts from details that appear only in secondhand biographies or David’s memoir.
David’s mother, Jackie Goggins, was Trunnis’s earlier partner. Public accounts and David’s memoir describe Jackie eventually leaving with her children and later settling in Brazil, Indiana. However, those details come primarily from David’s own account and secondary biographies, not independently verified records.
It is also worth noting that Trunnis’s family life, as confirmed by the obituary, shows a larger and more extended family than many summaries suggest. His story involves more people than the narrow father-son relationship that most readers search for.
What David Goggins Says About His Father in Can’t Hurt Me
The main reason Trunnis Goggins remains a searchable name is David’s memoir. In Can’t Hurt Me, David describes his father as abusive and portrays his childhood home as a traumatic environment. Military.com and other outlets that have covered David’s public story summarize similar accounts drawn from his interviews and writing.
It is important to be clear about what this means from a sourcing standpoint. These are David’s personal accounts of his own childhood. They have not been independently verified as a matter of public record. That does not make them false — memoirs are personal by nature — but the reader should understand they are hearing one person’s documented experience and perspective.
David has been consistent and public in sharing these experiences. His account describes a sharp contrast between his father’s social presence as a Buffalo businessman and what he says happened behind closed doors. That contrast is part of why the story resonates with readers and continues to generate searches about Trunnis.
Secondhand summaries of Can’t Hurt Me sometimes sensationalize these details or add claims that go beyond what David’s memoir actually documents. The book itself, and reporting based directly on it, is the appropriate place to understand David’s account of his father. Unsourced claims found on low-quality biography sites should be treated with skepticism.
His Death and Legacy
Trunnis Goggins died in November 2013 at Buffalo General Medical Center after a long illness. He was 79 years old. His obituary was published through the Buffalo News.
His legacy is local and personal rather than national. He built a business in Buffalo that lasted for decades, created a community venue that hosted well-known performers, and raised a family that includes one of the most publicly recognized endurance athletes in the world.
For readers who want to understand David Goggins more fully, Trunnis’s story provides genuine context — both the working-class roots and the complicated family picture David has described publicly. For readers specifically interested in Buffalo history, Skateland represents a real piece of the city’s mid-century entertainment landscape.
If you are researching business history or public figures through a broader lens, Alpha Business Daily covers profiles and background stories across a range of industries and subjects.
What Is Actually Confirmed — A Quick Summary
- Trunnis Goggins was a Buffalo, New York businessman and the father of David Goggins.
- He owned and operated Skateland, which opened in the early 1960s and later became New Skateland Arena on East Ferry Street.
- His obituary notes that performers including Gladys Knight, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Dionne Warwick appeared at the venue.
- He started working at age nine shining shoes and held several working-class jobs before building his business.
- He was survived by his wife Susan A. Greene, sons Trunnis II and David, and four daughters.
- He died in November 2013 at age 79 after a long illness.
- David’s memoir describes their relationship as abusive and traumatic — a personal account, not an independently verified legal or historical record.
Final Thoughts
Trunnis Goggins is one of those figures who becomes searchable not because of his own public profile, but because of someone else’s. His son’s honesty about his childhood has made Trunnis part of a very widely read story.
What the available record shows is a man with a genuine working-class background who built something real in Buffalo over several decades. It also shows a family dynamic that, by David’s own account, was deeply difficult. Both things can be part of the same person’s story.
Understanding Trunnis clearly — through his obituary, his business history, and David’s attributed memoir accounts — gives a more grounded picture than most online summaries provide. That is what this article has tried to offer.
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