William Riehle Godfrey

In Loving Memory
William R. Godfrey, "Bill" to friends and colleagues, "Dad" and "Superman" to his luckiest three children, accepted his call to Heaven on October 26, 2025, in the loving company of family.
Born to Mary Jo and Joseph D. Godfrey in Buffalo, NY on December 29, 1950, Bill joins his saintly parents, extraordinary sisters, Mary Jo "Josie" and Jane, and countless family and friends from around the world who shared his joyful, steadfast devotion to the miracles of life and all of Creation. He is survived by his three adoring children: William L., Kathleen J., and Jennifer A. Godfrey, his very dear brother Joseph J. Godfrey, S.J., and his three grandsons, William L. Godfrey, Jr., and Philip J. and James A. Godfrey. As in life, he continues to teach and urge forward many much-loved nieces and nephews, in-laws, students, and friends.
Bill grew up in Buffalo, NY, attended Canisius High School, and graduated from The University of Notre Dame with BAs in Architecture and Government and an MS in Environic Design.
As an architect, teacher, and professor, Bill was a dedicated innovator for "Environics," a term coined by his beloved mentor, Patrick Horsbrugh. The culmination of his professional career was as President of the non-profit research and education foundation Environic Foundation International (EFI) starting in 1995. In this role, he conceived and developed EFI's Sustainable Societies education platform, a universally relevant approach to design and delivery of integrated social, economic and environmental sustainability education. He developed full versions of the program with partners at local, regional and global scales, principally in the United States and Africa. His most recent professorships took place at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond. A founder and Vice Chair of the U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development and a member of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development Education Caucus, Bill developed the award-winning Sustainable Societies-Africa course in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), designed and led programming at United Nations' summits on Sustainable Development, and advised the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and UNEP, as well as college and professional leadership around the globe.
Prior to EFI, Godfrey was a senior architect with the global design firm Leo A. Daly where he was responsible for plans and designs for sustainable coastal ecosystems, buildings, and new cities in the United States, the Middle East, Pacific Islands and China. During that time, he noticed that many people with specialized expertise often knew little about the social, economic and environmental sustainability issues embedded in the projects. With the future flourishing of his children and all rising generations front of mind, he chose to give up his acclaimed architectural career to invent and dedicate himself to "Environic Education."
His work received international and national awards for educational program development, architecture, engineering, and planning from the United Nations Environment Programme, the African Association of Universities, the South African Development Commission, the United Nations University, the American Institute of Architects, the American Council of Civil Engineers, and the United States Department of Defense.
But over and above, and in tandem with, his international good works, Bill was a father, and since 1988 a single father to his three children. "You are my life's work" - he lived these words without compromise. Bill filled the roles of two parents, including all homemaking and repairs, as well as teaching Sunday school, coaching soccer for all three of his kids' teams, and every night setting a family dinner prepared to talk with his children for as many hours into the night as they needed. Bill, Superman, "Dad always did the right thing," each will tell you.
Bill was a champion to and for so many, and we know his memory will fill many people with the incredible joy and reverence he felt for life. Long live his flame through all of us as he peacefully, victoriously rests, at last.
Instead of flowers, we ask that you remember Bill in practice – Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with Your God.