Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller, Sr. (May 22, 1924 – January 22, 2010) was an American aviator. He was the eldest son of Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899–1983) and Helen Gratz. He is best known for his environmental interests and role in the

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...

Early life

Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller was born on May 22, 1924, in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

to Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899–1983) and Helen Gratz. He attended

Phillips Academy Andover ("Not for Self") la, Finis Origine Pendet ("The End Depends Upon the Beginning") Youth From Every Quarter Knowledge and Goodness , address = 180 Main Street , city = Andover , state = Ma ...

and later

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

, at the same time as family friend George H. W. Bush.

Career

He joined the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

and served in both

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, achieving the rank of Major Aviator Pilot.Godfrey A. Rockefeller Obituary
, RotorNews (

Helicopter Association International The Helicopter Association International (HAI) is a not-for-profit professional trade association of over member organizations in more than 68 nations. Since 1948, HAI has provided its membership with services that directly benefit their operat ...

). 2010. Godfrey spent 25 years in the commercial helicopter industry, working for

Bell Helicopter Bell Textron Inc. is an American aerospace manufacturer headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. A subsidiary of Textron, Bell manufactures military rotorcraft at facilities in Fort Worth, and Amarillo, Texas, as well as commercial helicopters in M ...

s as Chief Pilot; Peter Wright, Sr. recalled that he once landed a

Bell 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first he ...

on a wide

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

"because he did not want to ruin the lawn!" He was president and chairman of the Helicopter Association of America, now known as the

, in 1968, and also belonged to the American Helicopter Society, being a member since 1952 and belonging to its Gold Circle Club. Rockefeller "played an important role in the founding and creation" of the

, which included "hiring the first staff and chief scientist",In Memoriam: Godfrey A. Rockefeller
Kerry Zobor (

). January 29, 2010. and later served as its executive director from 1972 to 1978. From 1977 to 2006 he served on the board of directors and the National Council of the WWF. From 1981 to 1990, he was chairman of the

Chesapeake Bay Foundation The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is a non-profit organization devoted to the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay in the United States. It was founded in 1967 and has headquarters offices in Annapolis, Maryland. The foundation h ...

, and after that chairman emeritus. Rockefeller owned a home on Gibson Island in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and was keenly interested in the preservation of the failing

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...

. Following his unexpected death on January 22, 2010, at the St. Andrew's Club in

Delray Beach, Florida Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020 was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States Census. Located 52 miles (83 kilometers) north of Miami, Delray Beach is in the ...

, where he also owned a home, the Gibson Island community honored him by flying their flag at

half-mast Half-mast or half-staff (American English) refers to a flag flying below the summit of a ship mast, a pole on land, or a pole on a building. In many countries this is seen as a symbol of respect, mourning, distress, or, in some cases, a salut ...

Personal life

Godfrey's first marriage to Constance Hamilton Wallace ended in divorce. He was then married to Margaret "Margo" Kuhn Rockefeller for fifty three years; she died in 2009, a year before his death. He is survived by four children and several grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockefeller A., Godfrey 1924 births 2010 deaths Rockefeller family American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent Phillips Academy alumni Yale University alumni Aviators from New York (state) United States Marines United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War Helicopter pilots People from Delray Beach, Florida

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References