| − | In 1940, Godwin married the former Katherine Thomas Beale (1917-2015) of Holland in Nansemond County. The couple adopted a child, Rebecca Katherine "Becky" Godwin, who was killed by a streak of lightning at the age of fourteen in August 1968 while vacationing with her mother at [[Virginia Beach, Virginia]].<ref>Rebecca Katherine “Becky” Godwin (1953-1968) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed October 12, 2021.</ref> Governor Godwin at the time was attending the Democratic National Convention in [[Chicago]], which nominated [[Hubert Humphrey]] to challenge Richard Nixon and [[George Wallace]].<ref>Phyllis Speidel, '''I'm so tickled I'm here,' says 91-year-old former first lady of Virginia," ''The Virginian Pilot,'' January 26, 2008.</ref> | + | In 1940, Godwin married the former Katherine Thomas Beale (1917-2015) of Holland in Nansemond County. The couple adopted a child, Rebecca Katherine "Becky" Godwin, who was killed by a streak of lightning at the age of fourteen in August 1968 while vacationing with her mother at Virginia Beach.<ref>Rebecca Katherine “Becky” Godwin (1953-1968) - Find A Grave Memorial, accessed October 12, 2021.</ref> Governor Godwin at the time was attending the Democratic National Convention in [[Chicago]], which nominated [[Hubert Humphrey]] to challenge Richard Nixon and [[George Wallace]].<ref>Phyllis Speidel, '''I'm so tickled I'm here,' says 91-year-old former first lady of Virginia," ''The Virginian Pilot,'' January 26, 2008.</ref> |
| | The family resided in Godwin's hometown of Chuckatuck, now part of Suffolk, Virginia. Godwin died at the age of [[pneumonia]] at the age of eighty-four. He and his wife and daughter are interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suffolk. | | The family resided in Godwin's hometown of Chuckatuck, now part of Suffolk, Virginia. Godwin died at the age of [[pneumonia]] at the age of eighty-four. He and his wife and daughter are interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suffolk. |