William Arthur Godfrey, Jr., known as Bill, a longtime resident of Pittsfield, MA, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Friday, September 11, 2020, at the age of 92. Bill was born in Hartford, CT, on October 13, 1927 and was the son of the late William A. and Blanche (Connors) Godfrey. On November 24, 1956, he married Jane Barbara Callaghan at St. Mary's Church. They raised three sons, William, Patrick and Mark and two daughters, Kerry and Leslie.

Bill graduated from Bulkeley High School in 1945 and from North Adams State College in 1971 with his Bachelor of Science in Physics.

At the age of nearly 18, Bill joined the Navy on September 14, 1945, just at the tail end of World War II where he was assigned to "Radar School" as a Radioman II Class petty officer called RD2. He was posted throughout the U.S. and ultimately Beijing "Peking", China. He was honorably discharged after three years and 1 month in 1948 and was hired by Philco as a field engineer. He actually had one day of eligibility remaining with the Navy and was drafted back to serve in the Korean War Conflict in 1951 as an aircraft electrician assigned to the 19 Air Rescue Squad. Bill was transferred to St. John's Newfoundland, then onto Naval Air Station Keflavik (Iceland) and Thule Air Base (Greenland) ultimately ending up in Panama as part of Ground Control Approach until 1954. Bill is entitled to wear The World War Victory medal, the America Area medal, Good Conduct medal and the Chinese Liberation Ribbon. After his military time, he moved to Massachusetts and worked as an engineer at General Electric until his retirement in 1989. It was there he met his beloved wife, Jane who was also working at G.E.

Bill was a man of broad interests with a deep commitment to family, friends, his catholic faith and community. An accomplished athlete, he remained active throughout life-- skiing, biking, golfing, playing softball and exploring the Berkshires on foot and motorcycle. As an engineer everything was "doable" and projects were as varied as fixing watches, tearing down a motorcycle, learning to upholster, fixing cars and remodeling homes. An artistic side led him to working with stained-glass creations and later in life to his enjoyment of painting. Always a person to help others in need he was active in the community providing rides to those in need, volunteering with hospice care, "Meals on Wheels', recording books for the blind, and volunteering as a handyman amongst other efforts. Proud of his Irish heritage he was an active member of the Irish American Club and received the "Irishman of the Year" in 2007 given to those who give readily of themselves. A man of charm and presence, Bill enjoyed nothing more than gathering with his family and friends and holding court, if you will. His curiosity, love of learning, humor, commitment to family and service to others will be missed but has provided a wonderful legacy to his children and grandchildren.

Bill was predeceased by his dear wife of nearly 43 years. Bill will be lovingly remembered by his sons and their spouses, William A. Godfrey III, (Christine), Princeton, NJ; Patrick A. Godfrey (Linda), Mashpee, MA; and Mark E. Godfrey (Linda) Cheshire, CT; as well as his two daughters, Kerry Godfrey Scroggins (Willy), Portland, OR; and Leslie Godfrey Schutte (Scott) Dover, MA. As a loving grandfather ("Fa"), he will also be missed by his 11 grandchildren: Conor, Sara, Taylor, Ryan, Wm. Tucker, Taitum, Wm. Beckan, Luke, Grayson, Aidan and Callaghan and one great-grandson, Cason, let alone numerous nieces and nephews plus his sister-in-law, Elizabeth (Jane's twin sister) and her husband Robert Bova and sister-in-law Joanne (Duff) Callaghan. Besides his wife, Bill was also predeceased by his parents William A. and Blanche (Connors) Godfrey and sister, Patricia (Godfrey) Lukas. Including other brother and sister-in-law's, John Lukas, Jack and Eileen (Callaghan) Forrest, Edward and Margaret (Callaghan) Saunders, John and Justine (Cooney) Callaghan and George Callaghan.

Funeral Notice:

Funeral services for William A. Godfrey, Jr., will be Friday, September 18, 2020 with a Liturgy of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, celebrated by the Rev. Frank Lawlor, Administrator. Burial with full military honors will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery for immediate family only. A celebration of life for extended family and friends will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Mass Audubon Society or the Fund for Nature, the same organization that was near and dear to Jane's heart, in care of the Dwyer Funeral Home, 776 North Street, Pittsfield, MA 01201, in his memory. For Bill's full obituary, please visit www.dwyerfuneral.com.