Obituary of Joy Godfrey

Joy Carole Godfrey (née Lewis) February 5, 1936 – June 10, 2024, peacefully at home in Unionville, Ontario.  Joy is predeceased by her husband, David Wilfred Holland Godfrey, and is survived by her children Michael, Mark, and Dan, and her grandchildren Trevor, Ian, Alex, and Marlon.

A visitation will be held at the Dixon-Garland Funeral Home on Monday June 17, 2024 from 6–8 pm. A memorial gathering will be held on the weekend of July 27–28, with details TBA.

Joy was born in Montréal to Marjorie Blanche Lewis (née Short) and Basil Lewis, although her father died in a car accident shortly after she was born.  She later attended McGill University and the Fashion Arts Academy, before going to work at Sun Life.  Joy met her future husband David on a blind date set up by mutual friends; she later remarked that she had found it hard to turn down the opportunity to meet a dapper Englishman who was an aeronautical engineer and drove a Porsche.  Joy and David both realized almost immediately that they had met their life partner.  They were married in 1962 and had two rambunctious sons — Michael and Mark —  in Montréal before moving the family to Los Angeles and adding one more active boy — Dan — into the family mix.  In 1971, the family relocated again, this time to the Unionville/Markham area, where they settled down permanently.

Joy kept the family together in working order. Through many moves she made sure her family had a wonderful home environment and with the ever changing neighbourhoods. She made sure her boys were involved in team sports, summer camp, Scouts, and puppeteer workshops. Joy was meticulously on top of every situation without exception, like the glue that bonded many of Mark’s model airplanes. Some flew straight, some flew crooked, some crashed, but we could always glue the broken bits back together and it would fly a little straighter. As her family grew up and in some cases moved away, she remained the point person at home in times of crisis.

Joy was a passionate and accomplished artist, having studied at Ontario College of Art and Sheridan College.  Watercolours and oils were her preferred media to express an affinity for the interplay of light and colour. She particularly enjoyed working directly with her subjects, whether outdoors in Algonquin Park or home in the studio.  She was featured in many art shows in the Greater Toronto Area including four solo exhibitions, and won many awards for her works.  Joy was affiliated with the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (elected 1996), the Society of Canadian Artists (elected 1993), the Toronto Watercolour Society (Signature Member 1996), the Markham Group of Artists and the Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery.

In lieu of flowers, those who wish to remember her might want to make a donation to

https://societyofcanadianartists.com or the charity of your choice. You could also support a local artist or even simply hug someone you love.