Donalda Corrine Godfrey - née Spence of Springhill, Nova Scotia

November 3, 1953  ✦ February 27, 2026

It is with hearts full of love and more than a few laughs that the family of Donalda Corrine (Spence) Godfrey announces her passing. Donalda passed away suddenly but peacefully, with her family by her side, on Friday, February 27, in the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre, Amherst. Born November 3, 1953, in Springhill, Nova Scotia, to Doris Boucher and her designated dad, Garfield Godfrey, Donalda was the kind of person who made every room warmer and every gathering louder in the very best way. Donalda found her person in Kenneth Douglas Godfrey, whom she married on June 29,1972. She loved Kenny deeply and completely, and those who knew them understood just how much they meant to each other. It brings the family comfort to know she is now reunited with him in heaven, together again, likely laughing at something the rest of us missed.

A Life Well Laughed

If you knew Donalda, you knew two things immediately: she had the best belly laugh, and she would feed you until you couldn't move. She met people with kindness and compassion. To those who knew her, she gave the kind of hugs that made you feel like everything was going to be just fine. Donalda was a woman of remarkable and wide-ranging talents. In the kitchen, she could make something delicious out of nothing. Her creations were crafted with skill, love, and the unshakeable belief that there was no problem a good meal couldn't help. And when it came to crafts, she was the kind of person who mastered one and then simply moved on to the next, always curious, always creating. Whether it was crochet or whatever new project had caught her eye, she threw herself into it with the same warmth and enthusiasm she brought to everything in life. Her hands were rarely still, and the things she made carried a piece of her in every stitch. She loved losing herself in a good book, a great show, and above all, time spent with her loved ones. She and Kenny also shared a deep and devoted love of their children, grandchildren, and dogs, a bond that brought them both so much joy and that remained a cherished part of who she was. Life, for Donalda, was best lived surrounded by family, a good dog at her feet, and a craft on the go.

Her Greatest Joy

If Donalda had a mission statement, it would have been simple: spoil the grandchildren relentlessly, and never stop. She pursued this goal with extraordinary dedication and a grandmother's fierce, unconditional devotion — baking far too many cookies (always by design), dispensing the world's best hugs (always on demand), and showing up for Parkyr and Claire in every way a grandmother possibly could. They were her pride, her delight, and one of the greatest joys of her life.

Reunited

Donalda is predeceased by her beloved husband, Kenny Godfrey; her sister, Starr Spence; her sisters-in-law, Audrey Godfrey, Bonnie Godfrey, and Donna Godfrey; her brothers-in-law, Donnie Godfrey, Jim MacDonald, and John Mosley; her mother, Doris Boucher; her mother and father-in-law, Charlotte and Garfield Godfrey, her special aunt and uncle Nelly and John Godfrey, and grandparents, Annie and Ralph Embree.

Left to Cherish Her Memory

Donalda is lovingly survived by her children, Jason Godfrey and partner Kristi Elliott; Amanda and Danny Gogan; her daughters of the heart, Amy Matthews Katerynych and Kim Hayes Black; her cherished grandchildren, Parkyr Gogan and partner Julia Boudreau, and Claire Gogan and partner Will Harron; Olivia Canning Sweet, the granddaughter who stole her heart; her beloved siblings, Josephine MacDonald, Richard and Shelly Spence, Cheryl Donaldson-Dowell, and Cathy and Gordy Embree; and her brothers- and sisters-in-law, Ruth Mosley, Dave and Minnie Godfrey, Ernie and Lynn Godfrey, Layton and Dulcie Godfrey, Robert Godfrey, and George and Marina Godfrey; special cousins, Dave and Lorna Rushton, along with friends and extended family. Donalda had a gift for making people feel like family, because to her, they were.

Donalda Godfrey lived the way the best people do: with her whole heart, her arms always open, and a laugh always ready. She leaves behind a family who loved her fiercely, a kitchen that will smell a little less like cookies, and a world that is quieter and less funny without her in it.

A time of visitation will be held from 1-2 pm, followed  immediately by a celebration of life service at 2 pm on Monday, March 16  all in MacDiarmid's Funeral Home & Crematorium, Oxford.