Robert "Bob" Godley

Robert "Bob" Godley, age 89, died unexpectedly yet peacefully at his home on April 7, 2020 in Matthews, North Carolina, of heart failure unrelated to the coronavirus.

His beloved wife of over 60 years, Pat, preceded Bob in death by a year. He is survived by his daughter Kim (Tom), his son Peter, his son Mark (Amy) and their two children Callie and Ashton, as well as both of his brothers, Bill and Fred. Bob was preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Mabel Godley.

Bob was born in Springer, New Mexico. When he was six years old, his family relocated to the Oakdale neighborhood of Charlotte, where he grew up around the Godley Auction yard. He earned his business degree from Bob Jones University, and then enlisted to become a U.S. Navy Aviator. Bob was stationed in San Diego, California where he flew fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Hancock and was later an advanced naval flight instructor in Beeville, Texas.

Bob met Patricia Riley in San Diego, and they were married in Texas. They then decided to leave military life to return to Charlotte in 1957, where they started their family which soon included their three children. Bob joined Godley Construction Company, that built various projects in Charlotte and around the southeast. In 1972, he formed his own real estate development company, Bob Godley Enterprises, and built many industrial and commercial buildings in the Charlotte area.

Despite his busy work and family life, Bob couldn't resist the urge to continue to fly. He piloted many types of flying machines: a gyrocopter (an experimental one-man open helicopter), an ultralight (an experimental one-man fixed-wing open plane), a 60 year old vintage two-seat Piper Cub plane (usually flying with the side doors open) and a Cherokee Lance six-seat twin-engine passenger plane, not to mention occasional hot air balloon rides and parasailing escapades.

Bob and Pat would fly their family and friends to destinations throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. Bob flew hundreds of trips with a perfect safety record for over 50 years, which was recognized by a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2010 when Bob was 80 - the most prestigious award the FAA issues to pilots.

In addition to his flying adventures, Bob crisscrossed the country with his family in recreational vehicles. They later also chose to travel by water, navigating their houseboat to places that few landlocked Charlotte-based boats ever see. They started in Lake Norman, then explored many major rivers, the Intracoastal Waterway, the New York Harbor and the open sea off the East Coast.

Bob and Pat didn't limit their trips to North America; they traveled around the globe on frequent tours and cruises. When Bob was in his seventies, he and Pat hiked the 73 miles of Hadrian's Wall, from the west coast to the east coast of Britain, along with three of their hardiest cohorts.

All the while, Bob and Pat remained active in both the Newell and Charlotte communities, in local ballroom dance clubs, at Newell Presbyterian Church and as hosts of countless parties and holiday events at their home. Bob never gave up the real estate business, and he actively managed properties until the last day of his life. He'd frequently say that he lived in a retirement community, but he never considered himself to be fully retired - he was putting that off until someday later when he got old.

A celebration of Bob's life will be held at a future time, when everyone is able to attend in person. Please email BobGodleyFuneral@gmail.com with your contact information now to be notified later. Memorial donations can be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of the Charlotte Region (www.hpccr.org).