James Godshalk

1928 - 2025

James Godshalk

June 17, 1928 - October 23, 2025

James "Jim" Godshalk, age 97, of Kendall, Wisc., a former Naval Aviator, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Tomah VA Hospital after an extended illness.

Jim was born on June 17, 1928, in Hinsdale, Ill., the son of Clarence Edwin Godshalk and Margaret Soule (Wyckoff) Godshalk. Since his father was then the superintendent and later director of the Morton Arboretum, Jim grew up immersed in nature. His first job was hoeing the lilac patch at the Arboretum.

From second to eighth grades, Jim attended Avery Coonley Elementary School in Downers Grove, Ill., an experiential school where students, in addition to regular classwork, worked on construction projects, raised animals, and explored the nearby woods. This approach helped establish his philosophy of life. He then attended Downers Grove High School – North from 1942 until graduating in 1946. From an early age, Jim knew he wanted to fly. He would like to lie in a field at the Arboretum watching planes fly over. At age 11, his father took him to a flight expo and treated him to a flight in a biplane. By age 15, he started flight lessons and, together with a friend, Ed Applequist, purchased an old WWI Army 058 observation plane and would practice landing in the fields at the Arboretum. After passing the requirements to fly solo, at the age of 18, Jim and Ed flew to Florida, "following the railroad tracks." They had a little portable radio, which managed to give them snippets of weather reports. Among their adventures on the trip, they had to make a landing in a storm at a military base. With 50 mph crosswinds over the runway, which had already caused a DC-3 to crash, they managed to avoid disaster by heading into the wind, landing across the runway, and slowing enough to be gently pulled into an open hangar. They were then fed and put up for the night.

After graduating from high school, Jim joined the Navy Holloway V-5 Program, designed to refill the ranks of aviators after WWII. He was one of three of the twenty who passed the required entrance exam at the Plymouth Court Building in Chicago. Jim then reported for pre-flight training at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., for the required two years of college. Following this, he reported to pre-flight at Pensacola, Fla., where the Marine drill sergeant whipped the recruits into shape. They marched, but they also learned naval navigation using stars.

In 1948, in both Florida and Texas, Jim learned to fly Navy style. They flew a 500hp SNJ plane and had to do acrobatics, formation flying, gunnery, bombing, and night flying. In order to qualify, they had to successfully make five landings and take-offs on a carrier, in Corsair, the type of plane used in combat, and incidentally the kind featured in the movie "Devotion." In 1950, after receiving his gold wings, further training, and qualifications at Norfolk and back to Pensacola, Jim was assigned to VF74, Be-devilers Squadron. Led by WWII ace John Fair, the highest-rated pilot on the East Coast, who was using the 2000hp Grumman F-8. The squadron crossed the Atlantic Ocean on the USS Franklin Delano Roosevelt carrier. Practicing take-offs and landings en route, unfortunately losing some pilots on the way due to the challenging voyage. Their mission was to offer support to European allies in the unsettled environment following WWII. They were based in the Mediterranean. A tense time came when they were assigned to back up the French forces at a flare-up at Marseilles, France.

After completing his assignment in the Mediterranean, Jim returned to the States and completed his degree at the University of Michigan, choosing to devote his life to the field of counseling. In 1954, he received his bachelor's degree, and in 1956, his master's degree in psychology. At the university, he met Donna M. Peterson, and they were married on January 29, 1953. After graduation, he took a teaching position in Merrill, Wisc., and subsequently transferred to Minocqua in 1958, where he took a position as head of the Guidance Department at Lakeland High School. One of his efforts was to reach out to the area's Native Americans to encourage more of their young people to continue furthering their education.

In September 1965, Jim moved his family to Wayne, Ill., setting up the Guidance Department as director at the newly established Junior College of DuPage in Lisle, Ill., where he stayed until taking an early retirement in 1985. In 1977, he and Donna separated, and Jim moved to St. Charles, Ill. Meanwhile, Jim continued to serve in the reserves until 1970, attaining the rank of Captain. Among his assignments was a duty in Guantanamo, Cuba.

In 1982, he met Beverley Walter, and they married the following year. Over the next four decades, Jim and Beverley traveled together and explored their mutual interest in spirituality and how humans relate to the natural world. Ultimately resulting in coauthoring "The Nine Spirits" in 2006. In 1985, Jim moved back to Wisconsin to enjoy the nature he so dearly loved. Jim enjoyed being out-of-doors, gardening, golfing, traveling, skiing, being with his friends, and developing and discussing philosophy. He felt passionate about protecting animals and nature from the threat of extinction and contributed to organizations to save animals, especially elephants, and to other causes to preserve the environment.

Jim was active in the local community, serving on the Sparta-Elroy Bike Trail Board, as a member of the Elroy Lions Club, the Spring Valley Golf Course, and the former EAAC (Elroy Area Advancement Corporation). He served as the Chairman of the EAAC Commons Committee in the mid-1990s that worked to develop and realize the Elroy Commons area bike-trail pavilion, re-laid platform section, shop, and playground, capped off with the attendance of then-governor and Elroy native, Tommy Thompon, to inaugurate the opening of a newly covered bridge along the bike trail route.

He is survived by his wife, Beverley Walter; and four children: Ed Godshalk, Sara Godshalk Lehn, Peter Godshalk, and John Godshalk; five grandchildren: Melissa Godshalk, Jacob Godshalk, Jessalyn Godshalk Browning, Joshua Godshalk, and Zoe Lehn; one great-granddaughter, Dahlia; and a stepdaughter, Eva Walter Orquera.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at the American Legion Hall in Elroy, Wisc. The service will begin at 12 p.m. with military honors at 1 p.m. Family and friends are invited to stay after the military honors to enjoy one another's company, stories, and refreshments. The Torkelson Funeral Home in Tomah is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences are available at www.torkelsonfuneralhome.com.