Marianne Godfrey, 80, offered hope to cancer survivors

By Rick Badie

For the AJC

Whenever the American Cancer Society hosted its fashion show, the organization could depend on Marianne Godfrey to appear as a cancer-survivor model.

This March,  when the annual fund-raiser was held at the Buckhead Ritz-Carlton,  "Mitzi" didn't think she had the physical stamina.

Randy Redner, area executive director of the American Red Cross, offered to accompany her on the red carpet. To lend a hand.

"She got halfway down the runway and she said, ‘I think I can take it the rest of the way,' " Mr. Redner said. "She got a standing ovation."

Mrs. Godfrey was a two-time breast cancer survivor. She devoted herself to educating the public and raising money for the American Red Cross, notably its Gwinnett arm.

"There wasn't a dimension of the Red Cross that she wasn't affiliated with," Mr. Redner said.

Mrs. Godfrey's first bout with breast cancer took place in the 1960s, when she was 32.  She was one of five friends who was diagnosed around the same period. She  had a radical mastectomy on her left breast.

At the time, she was a married mother with three children -- a newborn boy, a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old girl.  They never knew Mom had cancer. All they knew was that she'd been in the hospital and had an operation.

"We lived in Tampa, and she was well known," said her daughter, Judy Godfrey Smith of Hoschton. "She kept right on going with the PTA, the Junior Women's  League and all those things. She was a character of hope."

Twelve years ago, cancer was detected in Mrs. Godfrey's right breast. She was 68.  She and Herbert Godfrey, her husband of 61 years, had recently moved to metro Atlanta from Jacksonville to be near their two sons.

Mrs. Smith, her daughter, lived in North Carolina at the time.

"When I came down here to see her on the day of the surgery, she said, ‘Honey, don't cry,' " Mrs.  Smith said. "She was courageous and brave, and there's a line of people willing to tell you that."

Alas, it wasn't cancer that led to Marianne "Mitzi" Tracy Godfrey's demise, though early treatments may have affected her heart.

On Friday, the 80-year-old Suwanee woman died of congestive heart failure at Emory University Hospital.  The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Buford Church of Christ. Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory in Buford is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Godfrey was born in Augusta, Ga. She graduated from Shortridge High in Indianapolis. She attended Abilene Christian University, where she met her husband.

Wherever the family lived, Mrs. Godfrey sold real estate.  In a 37-year career, she did  business in Florida, New Jersey and Georgia. Here, she was an agent with Virtual Properties Realty in Duluth.

"She loved selling real estate and she loved being involved in community affairs,"  said her son,  Randy Godfrey of Johns Creek.

"And she was an unbelievable fighter. If anybody ever had room to complain, moan or grown about her circumstances, it was her.

"But she never did."

And that's worthy of a standing ovation.

Additional  survivors include another son, Rick Godfrey of Dacula;  a sister,  Marie Riddell of  Redlands, Calif.;  seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.