Monika Maria Godzewski Kirkpatrick's Obituary
Monika Maria Godzewski Kirkpatrick, wife, mother, grandmother and friend passed away peacefully on June 22, 2017. She joins the love of her life; her husband, George G. Kirkpatrick, Jr. and we are comforted by thoughts of their reunion.
Monika was born in Dobeln, Germany on September 19, 1942 to Irma Bugge and Erich Godzewski. As a young girl she and her mother immigrated to West Berlin. Her older sister Helga remained in Dobeln, and they were separated by the Inner German Border, which prevented citizens of East Germany from traveling to the West. Some of the best moments of Monika’s life were welcoming Helga to America for the first time in 1989 and later her niece Karla, her husband Joachim, and their children Claudia and Christian.
Monika received her education at 2 Technische Oberschule, Berlin; Lette-Haus and LTC School in London, and also received a degree in English from the University of Cambridge.
It was in West Berlin where, while working at the US Army base, she met a sweet talking MP named George who swept her off her feet. After two years of adventure in Germany, they were married in Gainesville, Florida, where she remained as a proud United States citizen for 52 years, while always holding her native Germany close to her heart.
Travel was a joy of theirs and they visited numerous countries in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean as well as some fondly remembered Vegas trips to see her musical favorite, Elvis Presley. She was the proud owner of several Elvis sweat filled scarves.
While not a lifelong athlete, she played a mean game of racquetball and she and George enjoyed many rounds of golf on courses all around Florida in later years. Her favorite place to relax was the condo in Crescent Beach, where she and the children would stay from the first day of summer until the first day of school in the fall. Her best friend also decamped to the beach with her children and the memories of those summer days together were some of her fondest.
During her time in Gainesville, Monika was a member of numerous civic organizations, including the Junior League, the Jaycee Wives, the Homebuilders Auxiliary, the Opportunity Center, Alachua General Hospital, and the inaugural Easter Seals Fundraiser. She served on the Alachua County Drug Abatement Committee, where she chaired a sub-committee on integrating drug education into the school system curriculum.
An avid football fan, Monika was a founding member and two time President of the Florida Goal-Liners, a women’s Gator Football Booster Club and later, a member of the Gator Booster Board. There was not a time of year she looked forward to more than football season.
Her greatest love was her family, and she never missed an opportunity to be with them for holidays, birthdays, school and sporting events, Grandparents Day, or just to be together.
She is survived by her daughter Catherine Kirkpatrick and her husband Chris Himebauch of Jacksonville, FL; son Grier Kirkpatrick and his wife Amy of Tallahassee, FL; grandchildren Michael Himebauch, Sara Himebauch, Will Kirkpatrick and Colin Kirkpatrick; sister Helga Kirchhubel of Dobeln, Germany; niece Karla Ernst (Joachim) of Dobeln, grand-niece Claudia Ernst of Leipzig, Germany and grand-nephew Christian Ernst of Dobeln.
A graveside service will be held on Thursday, June 29, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. at Evergreen Cemetery, 401 SE 21st Avenue, Gainesville, with The Rev. Steph Britt officiating.
Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to a community nonprofit organization cofounded by Monika’s daughter Catherine, the Foundation for Foster Children, 2265 Lee Road, Suite 203, Winter Park, FL 32789 or www.foundationforfosterchildren.org.
What’s your fondest memory of Monika?
What’s a lesson you learned from Monika?
Share a story where Monika's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Monika you’ll never forget.
How did Monika make you smile?
