In loving memory of
Godfrey John Sullivan
Naples USA, Malvern UK
Born: 18th of Aug 1945 | Passed: 24th of Jun 2022
Aged: 76
Story Wall
About Godfrey
First Name
Godfrey
Middle Name
John
Last Name
Sullivan
City of Passing
Naples USA
Country of Passing
Malvern UK
Date of Birth
18th of Aug 1945
Date of Passing
24th of Jun 2022
Age
76
Relationship
Family Tree
Places Lived
Education
Career
Animals / Pets
Goff loved his dog Winston and the first thing he did when arriving home was to ask Winston "What is life like in the world of dogs today?" They adored each other.
Sports / Interest / Hobbies
Biography
What a privilege to have known Goff. Honest, straight forward, generous, and always accompanied with humor. A life well lived.
He purchased his favorite Scotch requesting that a toast be made to his memory at the Heron. And yes, Goff, Barbara is invited to each tribute.
Goff 8-8-22
When I think of Goff I think of how upbeat he always was. Even as the end drew close, his conversation was about the great life he had lived; his family, his work, the friends he made all over the world. Whether he was sharing a photo of himself as a little boy, a work story or a video from his great grandnephews—he shared it all with such a sense of richness and gratitude for his life. And most especially, for Barbara. Goff brought light and humor and warmth to The Heron. Thank you, Goff.
When I think of Goff I think of how upbeat he always was. Even as the end drew close, his conversation was about the great life he had lived; his family, the things he learned, the friends he had made all over the world. Whether he was sharing a photo of himself as a little boy, a work story or a video from his great grandnephews—he shared it all with such a sense of richness and gratitude for his life. And most especially, for Barbara, and their life together. Goff brought light and humor and warmth to The Heron. Thank you, Goff.
What a privilege to have known Goff. Honest, straight forward, generous, always with humor. He remained as Captain of his ship. A life well lived.
He purchased his favorite Scotch for us to toast his memory. And yes Goff, Barbara is invited to each tribute at the Heron.
Godfrey would greet me in his typical light fashion : “Hello Mate!” It lifted me and showed both respect and care. A very sweet man.
Annice
Bob and I were privileged to have met this amazing man and his brilliant wife when we moved to The Heron. Despite his problems, Godfrey was always ready with a quip or a kind word. He respected and valued others, much as we all respected and valued him. Towards the end, he welcomed visitors to his lovely home and he regaled them with stories of his career and his travels. Along the way, we all picked up a smattering of forging knowledge as well! That was Godfrey–generous and ready to share all he knew. We are richer for having enjoyed his friendship. Thank you to Barbara for supporting him so beautifully in the manner he wished.
I met Godfrey shortly after he moved to the Heron in Naples Fl. He was a wonderfully funny human being who knew so much about repairing anything that was broken. Despite his failing health, he always had an upbeat attitude and was fun to be with. During his years at the Heron, he was part of the building committee and saved us thousands of dollars by showing us how to properly repair things. He will be missed. One story I remember when we were discussing windows went something like this: “Listen Mate, the window glass is not the problem, it will last 100 years, it the aluminum frames we have to worry about because they are oxidizing from within.”
Goff and I first met when as young lads we were apprentices/trainees at Garringtons and immediately became friends. His Black Country sense of humour was infectious. Later as he progressed in Engineering and I through the Commercial route our work paths frequently crossed. It was a great surprise to us all when he applied and got the job in Chicago. But the American Auto. customers just loved him. I eventually became Commercial Manager for GKN Forgings and Goff and I really did some tremendous forging sales. When joined by our good friend Russ Schroeder we really did set things alight which was rewarding but also great fun because of Geoff’s wonderful work ethic and forging knowledge all done with his huge sense of humour. He has remained a great friend even though we went our separate ways from GKN and I am so sad for Barbara and the family in coming to terms with all the recent events.Thank you Goff for the wonderful memories.
R.I.P Dear Friend.
We met Godfrey and Barb after they moved to Brookfield, WI. We so enjoyed them both that we adopted them into our family. We were able to spend many holidays with both of them. When they moved to Naples, we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them. Godfrey was a wonderful friend who kept us both in awe of his knowledge of the world. His ability to make you feel at home and his ability to make you feel important in his life made it so easy to be with him. His love for Barb and her family always showed. His love of his heritage and sports also showed as we discussed many topics. He will be missed by our entire family. We know Barb will keep his memory alive. We will continue to pray for both of them. All our love, Ron, Mary Jo & Family
I met Goff when he started at Unit Forgings and worked with him until his retirement in 2012. I was immediately impressed with the breadth of his knowledge of the forging industry. He helped me in so many ways throughout our time at Unit. More important to me, we became good friends and have remained so into retirement. His terrific sense of humor and steadfast friendship will be deeply missed.
Dear Aunt Babs
We all miss Uncle Goff and nobody more than you must. We wanted to share this poem to give some comfort and we are here to share our love, support and strength.
Clair, Lisa and Dom x x x
Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed, and very dear.
I am sure that Goff is shining down on us as a new star in the sky.
We’re here with you, for you and besides you Babs.
Love Sue and Dave x x x x
We remember you Uncle Goff – sending our love to you x
Remember me, though I have to say goodbye
Remember me, don’t let it make you cry
Forever, if I’m far away, I hold you in my heart
I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart
Remember me, though I have to travel far
Remember me each time you hear a sad guitar
Know that I’m with you, the only way that I can be
Until you’re in my arms again
[Chorus]
Remember me, remember me, oh
Remember me, remember me
[Outro]
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I’ll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I’ll never fade away
If you close your eyes and let the music play
Keep our love alive, I’ll never fade away
Remember me
Dear Uncle Goff – we hope that you can feel the love tonight.
Love Teddy, Jack and George x x x
Can you feel the love tonight?
The peace the evening brings
The world, for once, in perfect harmony
With all its living things
Can you feel the love tonight?
You needn’t look too far
Stealing through the night’s uncertainties
Love is where they are
To my beautiful, brilliant and lovely husband Goff:
You’ve Just Walked On Ahead of Me
And I’ve got to understand
You must release the ones you love
And let go of their hand.
I try and cope the best I can
But I’m missing you so much
If I could only see you
And once more feel your touch.
Yes, you’ve just walked on ahead of me
Don’t worry I’ll be fine
But now and then I swear I feel
Your hand slip into mine.
All my love, now and always
Babs x x x
I first met Goff in 1978 after joining GKN. Our friendship developed as we worked together over the next 12 years and continued to grow after we both pursued different career paths. After we both retired. I was able to visit Goff and Barbara at their home in Naples, FL. Our talks always included some great memories and many laughs. When I think of Goff, I remember his courage, honesty and commitment to his friends. At one of last meetings, he gave me a Garringtons key ring and I gave him a Banks “Pint and Platter” booklet from the ’80’s. We had visited many of those pubs as we traveled through the Midlands. It’s special to know that we haven’t finished having a pint together.
John Keegan