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Stoufville Stouffville Sun-Tribune Sun-Tribune || Thursday, Thursday,July July7, 7,2016 2016| | 34 34 ifestories L Dave Godfrey took great pride in `protecting the flock' (JLSLIYH[PVUVMSP]LZ^LSSSP]LK HUKWLVWSL^LSSSV]LK Read more Life Stories on yorkregion.com "He was so proud to be her father," Nancy recalled, becoming chocked up as she reminisced about the man she loved for so long. "He's left a here's a saying among police officers, huge hole in our lives." suggesting there are three different Thirty-three years earlier, the pair met in types of people in the world -- sheep, Toronto. They started dating and got married a wolves and sheepdogs. Sheep are the trusting sort, wolves few short months later. Two years after that, their only child, Nicole, the predators who prey on others and sheepwas born. dogs help protect the flock. It was on the opening day of bass fishing seaOf the three, former Det.-Sgt. Dave Godfrey was a sheepdog through-and-through, accord- son that they'd welcome their bundle of joy, who would revel in her father's attention, eventually ing to his friend, Staff-Sgt. Peter Button. becoming a lawyer. "Dave was a strong charismatic man. He "When I was young, my dad was my first spent his life taking care of and helping others," he said, referring to his old friend from the teacher," she said. "I remember learning how to add and subtract and tell time with him before Toronto police. it was taught in school. My dad taught me how Godfrey died in April after suffering a massive heart attack in the middle of the night at his to swim, skate, ride a bike, drive a car and a boat and, most importantly, how to fish, shoot a shotKeswick home. He had been enduring back pain for months gun and a rifle and use a bow and arrow." Nicole recalled following years when she prior to that night, the doctors not realizing that would accompany her dad as his new bass fishing three out of his four heart arteries had become sidekick in and around her birthday. blocked. He didn't only spend his time teaching his Thankfully for his entire family, only a few daughter, but many others around him, acting months previous, he experienced what his wife, as a firearms instructor with the Toronto Police Nancy, would call one of the proudest moments College, where he helped shift the police force of his 62 years -- the moment he walked his from the old .38 calibre revolver to the modern daughter down the aisle. semi-automatic pistol and, eventually, work with It was that day he gave Nicole away to her Button. husband and his new son-in-law, Tyler McAuThe pair would develop a long and cherished ley. T BY JEREMY GRIMALDI jgrimaldi@yrmg.com relationship, that saw Button and Godfrey spend their free time together, fishing, skeet shooting, eating porterhouse steaks and even skinny dipping on New Year's in freezing Lake Simcoe, near Godfrey's home. "We were enjoying an adult beverage in the (hot) tub when, all of a sudden, Dave yelled, `It's time boys' ," he said, before the three ran down to the lake with the moon shining off their bare backsides. "After I got over my initial surprise, it occurred to me that maybe there was something to what people said about folks who live in Keswick," he added. He recounted stories about just how rare Godfrey used to enjoy his steaks and also reminisced about the time he and Godfrey went fishing with former York Regional Police chief Julian Fantino, with Godfrey wryly telling him he'd "fish" his cellphone out of the water when the chief threatened to throw it into the lake should he receive "one more call" . But most of all, Godfrey was a family man, Button said, remarking how proud he was of his wife and daughter. "He was very proud of them both -- I know because he told me so," he said. Nicole might have said it best when she recounted how she dealt with the heartache left where her "daddy" used to stand. "My dad was the strongest person I know and Dave Godfrey what he would want most is for us all to take a deep breath, have a drink, plan our next step and Git'R'Done," the lawyer said. "And, so, we will, and we will take all that he taught us and the amazing impression he made on all of our lives with us. And we will all be better and stronger people for having had him in our lives." Canada Post disruptions may begin July 8 Dependable Direct Mail Solutions Is your business ready for the possible Canada Post strike? · Reliable delivery each week · Cost effective · Targeted distribution across Ontario · Friendly customer service Direct to Door Delivery (416) 495-6622 · metroland.com