Obituary of Thomas Edgar Godward

Dr. Thomas E. Godward, 95, passed on March 7, 2020. He is survived by his wife and partner of 68 years, Sophie Rugare Godward; 3 sons: Jeffrey (Kathy), Ronald, and Thomas Gregory (Jennifer); also 3 granddaughters: Rachel (Daniel Lora), Julie, and Emily. Dr. Godward served our country in WWII as a radio operator and gunner on the B24 Liberator with the Army Air Corps 449th Bomber Group, 718th Squadron. He was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation with Cluster, the Bronze Star, and EAME Theater Ribbon. The GI Bill of Rights afforded Dr. Godward the opportunity to pursue his education. He received his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the State University of New York in Albany and his Ph.D from the Maxwell Graduate School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Having a strong belief in the benefits and power of education, Dr. Godward focused his career on students aspiring to be professionals, and in particular, teachers. His career in education spanned 55 years, 45 of those as a Professor of Social Sciences at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. Dr. Godward’s early career was in college administration as Mansfield University of Pennsylvania’s first Dean of Students, but feeling so strongly about the power of education, he made a decision early on to dedicate his life to teaching. Given the devotion and tenure of his academic career, the impact of his teaching has reached countless number of students. Funeral services are private. The family requests that condolences be expressed as a contribution in his honor to the charity of your choice.