Uncrowned Community Builders

William Godfrey was a retired Erie County worker and neighborhood leader. He was born in Pratt City, Alabama and moved to Buffalo, NY as a child. Mr. Godfrey was a machinist at Houdaille Industries and at Ford Motor Company before going to work for the county as a senior elections official. In 1971, then Mayor Frank Sedita awarded Mr. Godfrey the Distinguished Service Award for his work as chairman of the Review and Referral Board of the Model cities program.

He was a founding father of the Ross-Freeman Democratic Club. Mr. Godfrey served as Ellicott district committeeman for 24 years as well. He was also on the state democratic committee. He was honored by an African American political club, known as the "Young Dems" for his dedicated political service. He was very active at St. Philips Episcopal Church as a vestryman, chairman of the Boy Scouts and was honored by the Men's Club for 37 years of service to the church. He served on several Fruit Belt housing and neighborhood boards. He was a lifelong member of the NAACP.

He was married to Wilhelmina McAlpin Godfrey, a local artist.

Mr. Godfrey died on November 11, 2005 and is buried in the Birchwood Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Cemetery.