Godley, G. McMurtrie 1917-1999 Morris NY Obituary

G. McMurtrie Godley

MORRIS — G. McMurtrie Godley, a U.S. Ambassador, a career diplomat and an active public leader, died Sunday, Nov. 7, 1999, at A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta. He was 82. The cause of death was heart failure.
In the past 23 years since his retirement from the State Department, Godley was active in local community organizations.
Among other activities he served as chairman of the boards of Hartwick College as well as Fox Hospital, both in Oneonta. He was one of the founders and longtime president of the Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown and went on to become its chairman of the board and at the time of his death he was chairman emeritus of the opera.
Ambassador Godley, known to his friends as "Mac" had an enormous zest for life and a generosity of heart, intellectual energy and spirit, some of his friends were quoted as saying.
His career as a diplomat as just as notable. As a junior Foreign Service officer, he attended the San Francisco Conference in 1945, when the United Nations was founded.
He was fluent in French and specialized in politico-military affairs. He had postings in Marseilles, Paris, Brussels, Bern and Cambodia. He served as ambassador to the Congo (1964-66), to Laos (1967-73) and to Lebanon (1974-76). He retired in 1977, due to cancer of the throat. He had also served in the Navy during World War II and the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Ambassador Godley was born in New York City on Aug. 23, 1917, to Frederick Augustus Godley and Anne Franchot Godley. His father was professor of architecture at Yale University and his mother was a descendant of Stanislaus Pascal Franchot, an 18th century settler of the Butternut Valley.
Ambassador Godley was educated at Hotchkiss and Yale (Class of 1939).
Ambassador Godley is survived by his wife of 33 years, Elizabeth McCray Godley; and two sons, George of London and Nicholas of Madagascar. In addition, he is survived by his brother, Frederick A. Godley of New Canaan, Conn.; and his sister, Anne Godley St. Goar of Brookline, Mass.; and seven adoring nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be held on Saturday, Nov. 13, 1999, at 11:30 a.m. at the Zion Episcopal Church in Morris and will be followed by the burial service at Hillington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, friends could make contributions to: The Morris Emergency Squad; Fox Hospital Auxiliary, Oneonta; or the New York Sheriff's Association, Albany.

Published in The Daily Star on Nov. 9, 1999.


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