John Morrow Godfrey (June 28, 1912 – March 8, 2001) was a Canadian pilot, lawyer and politician.

Education

Godfrey was born in Port Credit, Ontario. He was educated at the

Royal Military College of Canada '') , established = 1876 , type = Military academy , chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister) , principal = Harry Kowal , head_label ...

in 1929 and at

Osgoode Hall Law School Osgoode Hall Law School, commonly shortened to Osgoode, is the law school of York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The law school is home to the Law Commission of Ontario, the Journal of Law and Social Policy, and the ''Osgoode Hall La ...

Career

During the Second World War, Godfrey was a pilot and Wing Commander with the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

in the United Kingdom and France. After the war, he was a named partner in the law firm of Campbell, Godfrey and Lewtas (now

Fasken Martineau DuMoulin Fasken, formerly Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, is an international business law firm with approximately 700 lawyers and offices in Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, Beijing, London and Johannesburg. On 29 Novembe ...

). He was a fundraiser for the

Liberal Party of Canada The Liberal Party of Canada (french: Parti libéral du Canada, region=CA) is a federal political party in Canada. The party espouses the principles of liberalism,McCall, Christina; Stephen Clarkson"Liberal Party". ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' ...

. In 1973, he was appointed to the

Senate of Canada The Senate of Canada (french: region=CA, Sénat du Canada) is the upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada. The Senate is modelled after the B ...

representing the senatorial division of

Rosedale, Ontario Rosedale is a Dispersed Rural Community and unincorporated place located in the city of Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, Canada, north-west of Lindsay. It is partly in geographic Fenelon Township and partly in Somerville Township, and is on the Rosedal ...

. A Liberal, he retired on his 75th birthday in 1987.

Family

Wife

Mary Godfrey (née Ferguson) was born in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, where she later attended Bishop Strachan School for girls. Mary then went on to study at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

and she began her business career soon after. John and Mary met when John was attending Osgoode Hall Law School. The couple married in 1940 while John was in the air force during World War II. Throughout her life, Mary was very involved in the community through various committees, boards, and volunteer work. Mary believed that there should be a good balance of culture and welfare work in one's life. The cultural work that Mary did included being a member of the National Ballet Committee as she hoped to see development of ballet in Canada. She was also on the Opera Festival Women's Committee of Toronto and was appointed president of the committee in June 1958. The welfare work that Mary did included volunteering at the Toronto General Hospital, being a member of the Junior League, as well as being on the advisory board of the Women's Auxiliary.

Son

John Godfrey John Ferguson Godfrey, (born December 19, 1942) is a Canadian educator, journalist and former Member of Parliament. Background Godfrey was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father, Senator John Morrow Godfrey (June 28, 1912 – March 8, 2001), ...

is a former Member of Parliament, cabinet minister, historian and economist. He is one of John and Mary Godfrey's four children which include two boys and two girls.

References

* *"A Gallery of Women". ''The Globe and Mail.'' March 5, 1959. WA14 Long, Elizabeth. Series 4: Biographies of Women. File 192 Godfrey, Mary.
John Morrow Godfrey fonds

Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is th ...

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Godfrey, John Morrow 1912 births 2001 deaths Lawyers in Ontario Canadian senators from Ontario People from Mississauga Canadian military personnel of World War II Canadian World War II pilots Royal Canadian Air Force officers Royal Military College of Canada alumni