Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller, Sr. (May 22, 1924 – January 22, 2010) was an American aviator. He was the eldest son of Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899–1983) and Helen Gratz. He is best known for his environmental interests and role in the

World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the ...

Early life

Godfrey Anderson Rockefeller was born on May 22, 1924, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

to Godfrey Stillman Rockefeller (1899–1983) and Helen Gratz. He attended Phillips Academy Andover and later

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

, at the same time as family friend

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...

Career

He joined the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

and served in both

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

, achieving the rank of Major Aviator Pilot.Godfrey A. Rockefeller Obituary
, RotorNews (

Helicopter Association International The Vertical Aviation International (VAI) is a not-for-profit professional trade association of over member organizations in more than 68 nations. In 2024, Helicopter Association International (HAI) rebranded into Vertical Aviation International ...

). 2010. Godfrey spent 25 years in the commercial helicopter industry, working for Bell Helicopters as Chief Pilot; Peter Wright, Sr. recalled that he once landed a

Bell 47 The Bell 47 is a single-rotor single-engine light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. It was based on the third Bell 30 prototype, which was the company's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young. The 47 became the first heli ...

on a wide

tennis court A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...

"because he did not want to ruin the lawn!" He was president and chairman of the Helicopter Association of America, now known as the

, in 1968, and also belonged to the American Helicopter Society, being a member since 1952 and belonging to its Gold Circle Club. Rockefeller "played an important role in the founding and creation" of the

, which included "hiring the first staff and chief scientist",In Memoriam: Godfrey A. Rockefeller
Kerry Zobor (

). January 29, 2010. and later served as its executive director from 1972 to 1978. From 1977 to 2006, he served on the board of directors and the National Council of the WWF. From 1981 to 1990, he was chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and after that chairman emeritus. Rockefeller owned a home on Gibson Island in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

and was keenly interested in the preservation of the failing

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

. Following his unexpected death on January 22, 2010, at the St. Andrew's Club in

Delray Beach, Florida Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population of Delray Beach as of April 1, 2020, was 66,846 according to the 2020 United States census, 2020 United States Census. Located in the Miami metropolitan area, De ...

, where he also owned a home, the Gibson Island community honored him by flying their flag at half-mast.

Personal life

Godfrey's first marriage to Constance Hamilton Wallace ended in divorce. He was then married to Margaret "Margo" Kuhn Rockefeller for fifty three years; she died in 2009, a year before his death. He is survived by four children and several grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockefeller A., Godfrey 1924 births 2010 deaths Rockefeller family American people of English descent American people of German descent American people of Scotch-Irish descent Phillips Academy alumni Yale University alumni Aviators from New York (state) United States Marines United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II United States Marine Corps personnel of the Korean War Helicopter pilots People from Delray Beach, Florida

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References