Professor Aaron William Godfrey, who taught Latin under the Department of European Languages at Stony Brook University, passed away on April 7 at the age of 91, according to Newsday.
The cause of Godfrey’s death has been linked to pneumonia. He had tested negative for COVID-19, yet some doctors said they believe the virus was an underlying cause of death.
Godfrey’s teaching career began in 1960 after he left a banking career with Citibank and W.R. Grace. His first stint began at Newton College of the Sacred Heart in Massachusetts. There he taught several European languages, including Spanish, French and Latin, in addition to money and banking, and Latin American history and politics.
He moved to Stony Brook University in 1965, where he taught Latin. For decades, Godfrey kept the study of Latin language alive on campus both through his classes, and yearly youth competitions in rhetoric, translation and knowledge of ancient history at the university. He even hosted meetings of the Suffolk Classical Society at his home.
Outside of the classroom, Godfrey lived an extraordinary life. He was born on Jan. 10, 1929 in Manhattan, New York. His father, Aaron William Godfrey, was a real estate developer, and his mother Claire Molanphyi was a New York City school teacher. Godfrey attended Regis High School in Manhattan as well as St. John’s Preparatory School in Brooklyn. Godfrey attended Fordham University following high school. He received his bachelor’s degree in history and went on to complete his master’s in the subject at Hunter College.
After earning his degrees, Godfrey, aged 25, served in the Army in 1954. He finished his stint in the military in 1956. He was stationed in Germany and often told stories about his times on the military base in his classes.
Throughout his life, Godfrey built a tremendous family around him. In his obituary from Newsday, he had 10 children from two marriages.
Godfrey lived a long life dedicated to educating thousands of students who attended the universities he taught at. His tenure as a professor can serve as a model for future educators.