William "Bill" Godby
Marriages
Helen Smith - May 23, 1953
In Grand Junction, Colorado
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 11B Death Notice - February 3, 2013
William “Bill” Godby, 79, Grand Junction,
died Jan. 30, 2013, at Sunset Manor Nursing
Home in Brush.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Martin
Mortuary. Burial will follow at 1 p.m. at Grand
Junction Memorial Gardens.
Survivors include his wife Helen of Grand
Junction, one son, David of Palisade, one daughter,
Karen Shaffstall of Thornton, six grandchildren,
and four great-grandchildren
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 8A - February 6, 2013
William Allen Godby passed
away in Brush, Colorado on January
30, 2013. He was 79 years
old.
William “Bill” was a longtime
resident of Grand Junction. He
had been in Brush at a nursing
home for the past nine months,
and passed away from complications
of Alzheimer’s.
Bill was born September 11, 1933, in Fruita to Harry and Essi e
(Branscom) Godby. He and his sister, Marion, moved with the family
to Clifton where he attended schools.
He married Helen Smith of Fruita on May 23, 1953, in Grand
Junction, CO. He also served in the Army for two years at Fort Ord,
CA and Yuma Proving Grounds, AZ, from 1953 - 1955, with Helen
at his side.
Once back home, Bill worked for Schooley Trucking for several
years as a truck driver. He then worked as a crane operator for 27
years with Corn Construction. Helen traveled with him during th e
summers with their three children, Stephen, David, and Karen.
When Bill retired in 1995, he and Helen loaded up their campe r
and fulfilled his lifelong dream of traveling up the Alaskan Hi ghway
to explore Alaska. Shortly after their return to Grand Junc tion,
Bill was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and has spent the last few
years in various nursing homes.
Bill loved traveling the southwest, working in his shop, and camping
and fishing the Colorado lakes. He was a member of Local #9,
Operating Engineers, and a longtime member of Pear Park Baptist
Church.
Bill is preceded in death by his parents, sister, and son, Stephen.
He is survived by his wife, Helen; son, David (Tracy) of Pali sade;
daughter, Karen (Gary) Shaffstall of Denver; six grandchildren, and
four great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made in Bill’s memory to Hospice & Palli ative
Care of Western Colorado.
A visitation will be on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at
Martin Mortuary. Funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. Grav eside
service will follow at Memorial Gardens.
