William A. Godfrey, M.D.

William Allen Godfrey, M.D., age 76, passed away the morning of Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 surrounded by his family, while in hospice at Emory University Hospital.

Bill was born in Ft. Pierce, Florida to Wilson Stuart Godfrey and Estelle Godfrey. He was a standout high school basketball player who played on the college teams during his time at both the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and MIT. Bill went on to graduate from medical school at Tufts University. Following his residency at University of Miami Jackson Memorial Hospital, Bill entered the U.S. Army as a Captain and served as a family practice physician in Grafenwoehr, Germany for 2 years.

While practicing family medicine on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Bill met Leigh Anne Strawn and they were married on December 23, 1983 in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida. Bill and Leigh Anne later moved to Atlanta, Georgia where they raised their three children: Will, Max, and Lauren. Bill was an incredibly loving and genuine father, and he took advantage of every opportunity to connect with his children and cheer them on.

In medical school, Bill was drawn to family medicine, and he went on to practice for more than 40 years. His compassion, generosity, and genuine nature earned him the respect of his colleagues and the trust of countless patients, many of whom stayed in his care for years and followed him across town whenever he moved. Bill found immense joy and meaning in his work and the relationships he built with colleagues and patients, and he reluctantly retired in 2020.

Outside of family and work, Bill valued continuous learning and pursuit of new experiences. He nurtured several lifelong passions including playing piano, learning new instruments, staying active through cycling or sports, tinkering with engineering projects, and being in nature.

Bill is survived by his beloved wife, Leigh Anne Strawn, their 3 children: Will (Carolyn) Godfrey, Max (Maggie) Godfrey, and Lauren (Elise) Godfrey. He also leaves behind 3 grandchildren, older brother Joseph S. Godfrey, and younger sister Louise Godfrey.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Wholesome Wave Georgia at wholesomewavegeorgia.org/donate or Central Presbyterian Church's Bashor Homeless Men's Shelter at bashorhomelessshelter.org/donate.

The date of a celebration of life will be announced later. To all who have reached out to express their love and condolences, we appreciate you and look forward to celebrating Bill's life with you soon.