A memorial service is set for Lorraine Godfrey, a longtime resident of Menlo Park, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at the Community Hall at 765 Portola Road in Portola Valley.
Ms. Godfrey was born in San Francisco on Valentine’s Day in 1919, and died on Nov. 10 of last year. She was 98.
During her life, Ms. Godfrey raised two sons and two stepsons, earned a doctorate, taught school, and belonged to several women’s organizations and reading associations.
Ms. Godfrey graduated from Lowell High School in San Francisco and from the University of California at Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in history. She worked for a time on the staff of the California Pelican, a humor magazine at UC Berkeley. She was secretary for the alumni association for the Class of 1941 for more than 50 years.
“It was appropriate that she was born on Valentine’s Day,” her family said, “because she loved everyone and everyone loved her. She was always cheerful and interested in others and their stories and families. She showed grace and strength in the face of adversity.”
Ms. Godfrey earned two master’s degrees from San Francisco State University and a doctorate in education from the University of San Francisco. She taught at the Frederick Burke Laboratory School and in the elementary education department at San Francisco State.
She was married to Joseph McCarthy for a short time, and then Bill Godfrey in 1950. She had one son from each marriage.
Among the organizations to which she belonged were the Daughters of the American Revolution, the American Association of University Women, and the Presbyterian Women’s Group. She was a director of the California Reading Association, president of the San Mateo County Reading Association and a member of the International Reading Association. She was also an active member of the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband Bill Godfrey and by her two stepsons. She is survived by her sons Gary Godfrey and Bill Godfrey, 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
The family is asking that donations in Ms. Godfrey’s name be made to either KQED or the Sierra Club.
