Janet Wilson Godfrey

Janet Wilson Godfrey RN (born 1947) passed away peacefully at home on January 20, 2021, with her husband, Richard Godfrey, her daughter, Laura Zagar, and her beloved dog, Bella after a long battle with multiple myeloma.  She is the daughter of Margaret Duerson Wilson and Robert William Wilson.  Janet grew up in Kent, Ohio, obtained a nursing degree from Seattle University, and moved to Granville in 1976.

Janet spent her nursing career caring for so many people, most importantly her eldest daughter, Beth.  She fought fiercely for Beth’s care, battling insurance companies and our health care system to give Beth the best possible life she could after suffering a brain aneurysm.   She spent countless hours on a pool deck cheering on Laura in natatoriums throughout the country.  She loved to knit, sew, bake, Ohio State football, the Green Bay Packers, and hosting neighbors and loved ones on Christmas Eve.   She had a mischievous smile, an infectious laugh, and made the best Texas sheet cake in the state of Ohio.  A lifelong advocate for women’s rights, she was thrilled to live to see the election of the first woman to serve as Vice President of the United States. 

Janet is survived by her husband, Richard, her daughter, Laura, her son-in-law, Scott Zagar, her brother, Bruce Wilson, and her nieces and nephews including Kim Wilson, Natalie Van Der Wal, Laurie Bayless, Robert Bayless, Robyn Bell, Tim Williams, and Albert Godfrey. She looked forward to reuniting with her mother, father, her many beloved dogs through the years, and most importantly, Beth.   

A memorial will be held in Granville, Ohio once the people that loved her can gather safely again.  Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to the Multiple Myeloma Fund of the James Hospital at The Ohio State University. 

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