William Godwin was a baseball and basketball standout at Barton College during a seven-year period that began in 1941, was interrupted by World War II, and ended in 1947.
He left his mark while donning the blue and white of the Bulldogs, but his legacy will continue for many years to come from his involvement in youth athletics, particularly baseball. As a high school teacher and coach, he impacted the lives of thousands before his death at age 63 on August 9, 1986.
He is survived by his wife, Caroline Cowell Godwin of Bayboro; a son, William “Bill” Godwin, Jr.; and two daughters, Cynthia Caroline Godwin and Deborah Diane Godwin.
Godwin was recognized as a talent and a leader by his coaches. He was born on Dec. 26, 1922, in Aurora, and moved his family to Dunn in 1926. Early in life, he took up baseball, and that was his passion. He excelled in youth leagues, then as a prep player.
In 1951, Herbert Taylor, who was the founder and president of Dunn’s Knee-Pants League for 31 years, named Godwin to his All-Time Knee-Pants League team.
Godwin wound up at Barton because one of his American Legion Baseball coaches, Bill Averette, was a friend of then-Atlantic Christian College coach Bill Herring. Godwin had outstanding credentials, so Herring brought him in to join the Bulldogs.
Godwin entered Barton in January of 1941 and played for Coach Herring in baseball and basketball until November of 1942, when Godwin, most of his teammates and coaches joined the military. While in the First Army, Godwin served in Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes and Central Europe. He was in the “Battle of the Bulge” and was one of 150 riflemen left out of an original 800 after breaking through the Ziegfried Line.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the ETO Campaign Medal with five bronze service stars.
Godwin returned to Barton in December of 1945 and played second base on the baseball team and guard on the basketball team for head coach Red Bird. The baseball team went 13-1 that season, losing only to Lenoir-Rhyne. Godwin was an integral member of both teams until graduating in 1947.
He was a member of the “A” Club for four years and vice president his senior year. He was also president of the Boys’ Dormitory Council, a member of the Executive Board and treasurer for the Phi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. During the summers, Godwin played semi-pro baseball with Dunn-Erwin and later, with Whiteville of the Tobacco State League and Pamlico of the Quad County League.
From 1947-55, Godwin was a teacher and coach at Walstonburg High School and Dugh High, where he taught math and social studies and coached basketball and baseball. He got married in 1950 and had two daughters in the next three years before the family moved to Bayboro.
After an attempt at a farm-oriented business, Godwin went back into coaching and teaching at Pamlico County High from 1957-63, then moved on to New Bern High from 1963-78, where he taught math and helped in coaching. He then took up officiating, which he enjoyed for more than 20 years.
He retired from New Bern High in 1978, but remained active in youth athletics. He is primarily responsible for the building of the Pamlico County High School baseball stadium and was very involved in Babe Ruth League youth baseball.
He will not soon be forgotten since the “Troy Godwin Bambino Field” is located in Pamlico County and because the “Troy Godwin Award” is given to the graduating senior exhibiting high qualities of leadership, citizenship, academic achievement and steady improvement in baseball each year at Pamlico County High.
