Mervyn E. Godfrey

Mervyn E. Godfrey, 91 years old, passed away peacefully at home on December 11, 2022. He was born on July 22, 1931 in Chatham, New Brunswick to the late William and Carrie (Dick) Godfrey. 

He was predeceased by his wife of 65 years Norma C. (Veronesi) Godfrey, his son Paul Godfrey,

his daughter Lynne (Godfrey) Ralph, his grandchildren Matthew and Kerri Godfrey, and his siblings Alvin Godfrey and Margaret (Godfrey) Morrison. 

Mervyn is survived by his son Steven Godfrey and his wife Diana of Watertown, his daughter Tracy McAvoy and her husband Brian of Waltham, his grandchildren Ryan Godfrey Ralph, Nicholas Godfrey, Jessica (Godfrey) Emmanouilidis and her husband George, and Elizabeth and Kevin McAvoy, as well as many nieces and nephews. 

He graduated from Waltham High School in 1949 and quickly joined the United States Air Force, serving in the Korean War. While enlisted in the Air Force, he met Norma who was also serving. They got married and returned to their home state of Massachusetts before moving to Waltham, where they had their 4 children and spent the remainder of their lives together.

Merv worked for Arkwright Boston for 42 years. He happily retired and continued to work part time as a security guard to keep busy until he was 87 years old. 

When he wasn’t at work or home with his family, he was playing sports. Mervyn played and excelled at hockey, basketball, softball, tennis, and football. He was known for his love of sports and his impressive skill in each one. Scooping up every ball on the field, his nickname in softball was “the vacuum” when playing shortstop in his later years. Not only did he passionately play sports until age 72, he also enjoyed coaching baseball for several years. Mervyn was proud to watch his grandchildren, Elizabeth and Kevin, play different sports throughout their childhood. He and Norma were known for attending every game, finding the best seat possible and analyzing each play. He also frequently enjoyed watching sports on TV. Whether it was going out to watch the Patriots with friends or staying at home wrapped in his heated blanket for the Bruins or Celtics, he was ready for every game. 

Mervyn was proud to be a loyal member of the Waltham Lodge of Elks #953 for 50 years, as well as the American Legion Post 156 for 40 years. He and Norma went there every day to socialize and play Keno. They loved doing scratch tickets and choosing their favorite teams in weekly football pools. You could also find Mervyn and Norma gambling at a casino, one of their favorite places to be. More recently, Tracy, Elizabeth, Kevin, and Brian enjoyed taking Merv to Shopper's Cafe where he loved to grab a Miller Lite and play his Keno numbers. If Merv was going out for the day, he always made sure to wear his U.S. Air Force Veteran hat; he wouldn’t leave the house without it. He was proud to discuss his time in the Air Force and loved when people thanked him for his service.

In his downtime, Mervyn loved doing word searches and watching the Western channel on TV. Every morning, he looked forward to reading the daily newspapers while enjoying a big breakfast, his favorite meal of the day. Merv always preferred to be freshly shaved and was known for having a “wiffle” haircut. To keep up with his desired look, Elizabeth would frequently give him haircuts at home. He could never have enough sweets, always asking for ice cream or opening another Hershey Kiss. 

Family and friends will honor and remember Mervyn’s life by gathering for calling hours at the Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham, on Friday, December 16th, 2022, from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. His funeral service will be held on Saturday, December 17th, 2022, at 11:00 am before leaving in procession to Mt. Feake Cemetery, 203 Prospect Street in Waltham, for the burial.