April 28, 1917 - May 16, 2009

Lee Godshall, 92, died Saturday at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.

Lee was born in Collegeville, Pa., to Morvin and Sarah Det wiler Godshall. He graduated from Catawba College in North Carolina, and was a proud veteran of World War II, serving in the Pacific Theatre and achieving the rank of first lieutenant.

Lee worked at Valley Forge Flag Factory in Spring City, Pa. In 1952, he moved his family to San Mateo, Calif., where he owned and operated a State Farm Insurance agency for 35 years.

Upon retirement, he moved to Corvallis to be near his daughters and their families. He was a member of the Elks lodges in both San Mateo and Corvallis.

He was also a member of the Corvallis Senior Center, and volunteered his time working with Meals on Wheels.

His hobbies included going to the library, WebTV and cooking from scratch. Lee was very gregarious, and took advantage of the opportunity to make friends wherever he went.

He was a regular at Saturday Market, and enjoyed the social connections he made there as much as or more than the produce and goods he purchased from vendors he considered his friends.

His life was an inspiration to those who knew and loved him. Well into his senior years, he often traveled to Tacoma to visit his daughter, and, even to his last days, he was an active and vital member of the Corvallis community.

Lee was preceded in death by his parents and his brother and sister.

Lee is survived by and will be sorely missed by his daughters and their husbands, Krista and Bruce LaSorella of Tacoma and Ferne and Mark Simendinger of Corvallis; four granddaughters; and three great-grandchildren.

Private family services will be held. Lee will be laid to rest at Trinity Reformed United Church of Christ Cemetery in Collegeville, Pa., in a private inurnment.

Memorial donations in Lee's name can be directed to the Corvallis Senior Center in care of McHenry Funeral Home, 206 N.W. Fifth St., Corvallis, OR 97330. Online condolences can be expressed at www.mchenryfuneralhome.com.