Ernest (Erne) Gene Godyn, 82, a first-generation American who became Administrative Vice-President of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and President of Sea World of Texas, died peacefully with his wife of fifty-eight years, Winona, and family by his bedside on May 1, 2009.
Born of immigrant parents from Belgium who had met in the United States, Erne was born on October 28, 1926 in Snoqualmie Falls, WA and lived most of his youth in Walla Walla, WA. Erne left high school before graduating in April 1944, joined the U.S. Navy, and became a hard-hat diver cleaning up the harbor in Naha, Okinawa until WWII ended.
After the war, he remained in the Navy Reserve, finished high school, and received his private pilot's license. Erne was returned to active service at the outbreak of the Korean War, and was stationed on LST 819, transporting personnel, tanks, trucks, and equipment for the duration of his tour during the war.
Honorably discharged in 1951, he came to San Diego, met and married Winona Malaney, enrolled in junior college and eventually achieved a degree in Architecture from the U.C. Berkeley off-campus program. During the next ten years, as an A.I.A. architect, Erne worked for several different design and architectural firms, the largest being Richard George Wheeler and Associates, while he honed his skills. After leaving the Wheeler firm, he accepted a position as Manager of the Design and Engineering Department at Sea World San Diego. This work was to define the rest of his working career.
Being a father he became interested in Scouting and during the years, 1964-1969, he was a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 274 in San Diego and loved to lead many camping and other outdoor adventures with his son and other scouts, and was recognized for promoting Scouting.
Erne handled the planning and many of the projects for the Sea World in Aurora, Ohio, where he and Winona lived for just over a year.
He was then promoted to Corporate Director of Development for building the Sea World in Orlando, Florida. By this time, Sea World had become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HBJ, and Erne worked on projects related to publishing facilities as the Administrative Vice President of HBJ, working closely with chairman William Jovanovich. At the same time, he continued in his new position as Vice President of Sea World of Florida, charged with the responsibilities of the further development of park expansion.
Finally, came the position for which Erne became most widely acknowledged. Besides being involved in the expansion into Texas of an HBJ-based book-distribution facility, he worked with San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros in bringing Sea World to Texas. Promoted to President of the Texas park, Erne oversaw all details of the building of the facility, even helping to personally lay some of the stones in the park's Avenue of the States.
He was to receive a First Place Award from the Architectural Design Awards in 1991 for his design and use of block glass at the entrance of the San Antonio Sea World park. The park's grand opening was featured on a C.B.S. special, Sea World's All-Star Lone Star Celebration, in June, 1988, with dignitaries from around the world attending.
Erne was ultimately named a Senior Vice President over all the Sea World parks, and was assigned to the task of traveling to Japan in order to negotiate the opening of a park in Osaka, Japan. That deal never happened, however, as HBJ decided to sell control of the parks to Anheuser Busch.
Although he retained the same position with Anheuser Busch, working with all of the parks in design and serving as a technical advisor, and was involved in talks about expanding Sea World into other countries, Erne decided to retire in 1991 and returned home to San Diego, CA.
He then served as a consultant to several companies who were pursuing the possibilities for establishing other marine parks, primarily in Florida and Mexico, while at the same time enjoying the retirement activities of golfing, gardening, and researching his family's geneology.
Erne is survived by his wife Winona, daughter Andrea Hollenbeck (San Diego, CA), son Victor (Atlanta, GA), grandson David Chew, granddaughters Cari, Jessica, and Erin, and 4 great-grandsons, Michael, Billy, Mitchell, and Brandon.
A viewing, followed by a military service with interment, was held at El Camino Memorial Park Friday, May 8.
The following article was also published in the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS:
As an executive with Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Erne Godyn helped bring SeaWorld to San Antonio.
Godyn, who served as the first president of SeaWorld San Antonio, died May 1 in San Diego, Calif., of complications from diabetes. He was 82.
"I remember him as being the driving force behind getting the park built," said Fran Stephenson, a SeaWorld spokeswoman who worked at the park in its early days. "His expertise was in bringing it out of the ground."
At the time of SeaWorld's construction in San Antonio, publishing powerhouse Harcourt Brace Jovanovich owned the water park, which then had locations in San Diego; Aurora, Ohio; and Orlando, Fla.
In his role with the company, he supervised more than 180 subcontractors and thousands of workers who built the park, Stephenson said.
Godyn was born in Washington state and joined the Navy just before graduating from high school. He became a hard-hat diver and helped clean up a Japanese harbor in Okinawa. After the war, he went into the Navy Reserve and finished high school before serving in the Korean War. Once he was discharged, he went back to the West Coast, this time to San Diego, went through junior college and later received an architecture degree from an off-campus program with the University of California-Berkeley.
He worked for several architecture and design firms for a few years and then went to SeaWorld San Diego, where he worked as the manager of its design and engineering department. From working on projects at the Ohio park and then construction on the park in Orlando, he came to San Antonio as administrative vice president of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Initially, he worked on on a book distribution facility for the company and then focused his attention on SeaWorld. The park opened in 1988, and three years later, his design and use of glass bricks in the entrance to the park received an architectural award.
After his time in San Antonio, he received a promotion to senior vice president over all the SeaWorld parks and traveled to Japan to negotiate a park in Osaka. Around that time, the parent company was deeply in debt from fending off a hostile takeover, and the Osaka park didn't happen. The company sold the SeaWorld parks to Anheuser-Busch, which still owns them.
He kept his position under the new ownership and retired to San Diego in 1991.
=============
Visitation:
Friday May 08
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Funeral Service:
Friday May 08
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Interment:
Friday May 08
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
El Camino Memorial Park
5600 Caroll Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA
=============
REMEMBRANCES
So many memories of Grandpa! I remember him making me pancakes in the mornings before school. The pancakes were in the shapes of sea turtles and Shamu. Another memory was when grandpa watched golf on TV. He was so into watching the golf that he wouldn't allow us to pass across in front of him until there was a commercial. Obviously this was a big problem for us little girls. I have many fond memories of grandpa and I will always miss him. Cari
Posted by: Cari Saxby Temecula, CA May 17, 2009
----
One of my favorite memories of my grandpa was when he used to take me to golf lessons every Saturday. I looked so forward to my Saturday mornings with my grandpa playing golf and then going to lunch after. After his leg was amputated, my mom wanted to keep taking me to golf. I wouldn't go because I told her golf would never be the same without grandpa with me too. Another great memory is growing carrots with my grandpa. We would plant the seeds, and then all summer I would check every time I went to their house to see if they were ready. Grandpa loved gardening, and I loved spending the time with him and I was so excited to eat the carrots I grew myself!
Posted by: Erin San Diego, CA May 11, 2009
----
I will never forget the first time that I met Uncle Erne and Aunt Winona. My dad and I flew into San Diego and Erne was in the baggage area holding a sign with our last name. I will always remember Erne's smile and the great talks that we had. Aunt Winnie, I am glad that I was able to come and spend the summers with you and Erne and I will always appreciate the time I was able to be with the both of you. May God comfort you and be with you in the days to come.
Posted by: Marilyn Malaney Houston, TX May 07, 2009
Born of immigrant parents from Belgium who had met in the United States, Erne was born on October 28, 1926 in Snoqualmie Falls, WA and lived most of his youth in Walla Walla, WA. Erne left high school before graduating in April 1944, joined the U.S. Navy, and became a hard-hat diver cleaning up the harbor in Naha, Okinawa until WWII ended.
After the war, he remained in the Navy Reserve, finished high school, and received his private pilot's license. Erne was returned to active service at the outbreak of the Korean War, and was stationed on LST 819, transporting personnel, tanks, trucks, and equipment for the duration of his tour during the war.
Honorably discharged in 1951, he came to San Diego, met and married Winona Malaney, enrolled in junior college and eventually achieved a degree in Architecture from the U.C. Berkeley off-campus program. During the next ten years, as an A.I.A. architect, Erne worked for several different design and architectural firms, the largest being Richard George Wheeler and Associates, while he honed his skills. After leaving the Wheeler firm, he accepted a position as Manager of the Design and Engineering Department at Sea World San Diego. This work was to define the rest of his working career.
Being a father he became interested in Scouting and during the years, 1964-1969, he was a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 274 in San Diego and loved to lead many camping and other outdoor adventures with his son and other scouts, and was recognized for promoting Scouting.
Erne handled the planning and many of the projects for the Sea World in Aurora, Ohio, where he and Winona lived for just over a year.
He was then promoted to Corporate Director of Development for building the Sea World in Orlando, Florida. By this time, Sea World had become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HBJ, and Erne worked on projects related to publishing facilities as the Administrative Vice President of HBJ, working closely with chairman William Jovanovich. At the same time, he continued in his new position as Vice President of Sea World of Florida, charged with the responsibilities of the further development of park expansion.
Finally, came the position for which Erne became most widely acknowledged. Besides being involved in the expansion into Texas of an HBJ-based book-distribution facility, he worked with San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros in bringing Sea World to Texas. Promoted to President of the Texas park, Erne oversaw all details of the building of the facility, even helping to personally lay some of the stones in the park's Avenue of the States.
He was to receive a First Place Award from the Architectural Design Awards in 1991 for his design and use of block glass at the entrance of the San Antonio Sea World park. The park's grand opening was featured on a C.B.S. special, Sea World's All-Star Lone Star Celebration, in June, 1988, with dignitaries from around the world attending.
Erne was ultimately named a Senior Vice President over all the Sea World parks, and was assigned to the task of traveling to Japan in order to negotiate the opening of a park in Osaka, Japan. That deal never happened, however, as HBJ decided to sell control of the parks to Anheuser Busch.
Although he retained the same position with Anheuser Busch, working with all of the parks in design and serving as a technical advisor, and was involved in talks about expanding Sea World into other countries, Erne decided to retire in 1991 and returned home to San Diego, CA.
He then served as a consultant to several companies who were pursuing the possibilities for establishing other marine parks, primarily in Florida and Mexico, while at the same time enjoying the retirement activities of golfing, gardening, and researching his family's geneology.
Erne is survived by his wife Winona, daughter Andrea Hollenbeck (San Diego, CA), son Victor (Atlanta, GA), grandson David Chew, granddaughters Cari, Jessica, and Erin, and 4 great-grandsons, Michael, Billy, Mitchell, and Brandon.
A viewing, followed by a military service with interment, was held at El Camino Memorial Park Friday, May 8.
The following article was also published in the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS:
As an executive with Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Erne Godyn helped bring SeaWorld to San Antonio.
Godyn, who served as the first president of SeaWorld San Antonio, died May 1 in San Diego, Calif., of complications from diabetes. He was 82.
"I remember him as being the driving force behind getting the park built," said Fran Stephenson, a SeaWorld spokeswoman who worked at the park in its early days. "His expertise was in bringing it out of the ground."
At the time of SeaWorld's construction in San Antonio, publishing powerhouse Harcourt Brace Jovanovich owned the water park, which then had locations in San Diego; Aurora, Ohio; and Orlando, Fla.
In his role with the company, he supervised more than 180 subcontractors and thousands of workers who built the park, Stephenson said.
Godyn was born in Washington state and joined the Navy just before graduating from high school. He became a hard-hat diver and helped clean up a Japanese harbor in Okinawa. After the war, he went into the Navy Reserve and finished high school before serving in the Korean War. Once he was discharged, he went back to the West Coast, this time to San Diego, went through junior college and later received an architecture degree from an off-campus program with the University of California-Berkeley.
He worked for several architecture and design firms for a few years and then went to SeaWorld San Diego, where he worked as the manager of its design and engineering department. From working on projects at the Ohio park and then construction on the park in Orlando, he came to San Antonio as administrative vice president of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Initially, he worked on on a book distribution facility for the company and then focused his attention on SeaWorld. The park opened in 1988, and three years later, his design and use of glass bricks in the entrance to the park received an architectural award.
After his time in San Antonio, he received a promotion to senior vice president over all the SeaWorld parks and traveled to Japan to negotiate a park in Osaka. Around that time, the parent company was deeply in debt from fending off a hostile takeover, and the Osaka park didn't happen. The company sold the SeaWorld parks to Anheuser-Busch, which still owns them.
He kept his position under the new ownership and retired to San Diego in 1991.
=============
Visitation:
Friday May 08
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Funeral Service:
Friday May 08
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Interment:
Friday May 08
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
El Camino Memorial Park
5600 Caroll Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA
=============
REMEMBRANCES
So many memories of Grandpa! I remember him making me pancakes in the mornings before school. The pancakes were in the shapes of sea turtles and Shamu. Another memory was when grandpa watched golf on TV. He was so into watching the golf that he wouldn't allow us to pass across in front of him until there was a commercial. Obviously this was a big problem for us little girls. I have many fond memories of grandpa and I will always miss him. Cari
Posted by: Cari Saxby Temecula, CA May 17, 2009
----
One of my favorite memories of my grandpa was when he used to take me to golf lessons every Saturday. I looked so forward to my Saturday mornings with my grandpa playing golf and then going to lunch after. After his leg was amputated, my mom wanted to keep taking me to golf. I wouldn't go because I told her golf would never be the same without grandpa with me too. Another great memory is growing carrots with my grandpa. We would plant the seeds, and then all summer I would check every time I went to their house to see if they were ready. Grandpa loved gardening, and I loved spending the time with him and I was so excited to eat the carrots I grew myself!
Posted by: Erin San Diego, CA May 11, 2009
----
I will never forget the first time that I met Uncle Erne and Aunt Winona. My dad and I flew into San Diego and Erne was in the baggage area holding a sign with our last name. I will always remember Erne's smile and the great talks that we had. Aunt Winnie, I am glad that I was able to come and spend the summers with you and Erne and I will always appreciate the time I was able to be with the both of you. May God comfort you and be with you in the days to come.
Posted by: Marilyn Malaney Houston, TX May 07, 2009
Ernest (Erne) Gene Godyn, 82, a first-generation American who became Administrative Vice-President of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and President of Sea World of Texas, died peacefully with his wife of fifty-eight years, Winona, and family by his bedside on May 1, 2009.
Born of immigrant parents from Belgium who had met in the United States, Erne was born on October 28, 1926 in Snoqualmie Falls, WA and lived most of his youth in Walla Walla, WA. Erne left high school before graduating in April 1944, joined the U.S. Navy, and became a hard-hat diver cleaning up the harbor in Naha, Okinawa until WWII ended.
After the war, he remained in the Navy Reserve, finished high school, and received his private pilot's license. Erne was returned to active service at the outbreak of the Korean War, and was stationed on LST 819, transporting personnel, tanks, trucks, and equipment for the duration of his tour during the war.
Honorably discharged in 1951, he came to San Diego, met and married Winona Malaney, enrolled in junior college and eventually achieved a degree in Architecture from the U.C. Berkeley off-campus program. During the next ten years, as an A.I.A. architect, Erne worked for several different design and architectural firms, the largest being Richard George Wheeler and Associates, while he honed his skills. After leaving the Wheeler firm, he accepted a position as Manager of the Design and Engineering Department at Sea World San Diego. This work was to define the rest of his working career.
Being a father he became interested in Scouting and during the years, 1964-1969, he was a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 274 in San Diego and loved to lead many camping and other outdoor adventures with his son and other scouts, and was recognized for promoting Scouting.
Erne handled the planning and many of the projects for the Sea World in Aurora, Ohio, where he and Winona lived for just over a year.
He was then promoted to Corporate Director of Development for building the Sea World in Orlando, Florida. By this time, Sea World had become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HBJ, and Erne worked on projects related to publishing facilities as the Administrative Vice President of HBJ, working closely with chairman William Jovanovich. At the same time, he continued in his new position as Vice President of Sea World of Florida, charged with the responsibilities of the further development of park expansion.
Finally, came the position for which Erne became most widely acknowledged. Besides being involved in the expansion into Texas of an HBJ-based book-distribution facility, he worked with San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros in bringing Sea World to Texas. Promoted to President of the Texas park, Erne oversaw all details of the building of the facility, even helping to personally lay some of the stones in the park's Avenue of the States.
He was to receive a First Place Award from the Architectural Design Awards in 1991 for his design and use of block glass at the entrance of the San Antonio Sea World park. The park's grand opening was featured on a C.B.S. special, Sea World's All-Star Lone Star Celebration, in June, 1988, with dignitaries from around the world attending.
Erne was ultimately named a Senior Vice President over all the Sea World parks, and was assigned to the task of traveling to Japan in order to negotiate the opening of a park in Osaka, Japan. That deal never happened, however, as HBJ decided to sell control of the parks to Anheuser Busch.
Although he retained the same position with Anheuser Busch, working with all of the parks in design and serving as a technical advisor, and was involved in talks about expanding Sea World into other countries, Erne decided to retire in 1991 and returned home to San Diego, CA.
He then served as a consultant to several companies who were pursuing the possibilities for establishing other marine parks, primarily in Florida and Mexico, while at the same time enjoying the retirement activities of golfing, gardening, and researching his family's geneology.
Erne is survived by his wife Winona, daughter Andrea Hollenbeck (San Diego, CA), son Victor (Atlanta, GA), grandson David Chew, granddaughters Cari, Jessica, and Erin, and 4 great-grandsons, Michael, Billy, Mitchell, and Brandon.
A viewing, followed by a military service with interment, was held at El Camino Memorial Park Friday, May 8.
The following article was also published in the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS:
As an executive with Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Erne Godyn helped bring SeaWorld to San Antonio.
Godyn, who served as the first president of SeaWorld San Antonio, died May 1 in San Diego, Calif., of complications from diabetes. He was 82.
"I remember him as being the driving force behind getting the park built," said Fran Stephenson, a SeaWorld spokeswoman who worked at the park in its early days. "His expertise was in bringing it out of the ground."
At the time of SeaWorld's construction in San Antonio, publishing powerhouse Harcourt Brace Jovanovich owned the water park, which then had locations in San Diego; Aurora, Ohio; and Orlando, Fla.
In his role with the company, he supervised more than 180 subcontractors and thousands of workers who built the park, Stephenson said.
Godyn was born in Washington state and joined the Navy just before graduating from high school. He became a hard-hat diver and helped clean up a Japanese harbor in Okinawa. After the war, he went into the Navy Reserve and finished high school before serving in the Korean War. Once he was discharged, he went back to the West Coast, this time to San Diego, went through junior college and later received an architecture degree from an off-campus program with the University of California-Berkeley.
He worked for several architecture and design firms for a few years and then went to SeaWorld San Diego, where he worked as the manager of its design and engineering department. From working on projects at the Ohio park and then construction on the park in Orlando, he came to San Antonio as administrative vice president of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Initially, he worked on on a book distribution facility for the company and then focused his attention on SeaWorld. The park opened in 1988, and three years later, his design and use of glass bricks in the entrance to the park received an architectural award.
After his time in San Antonio, he received a promotion to senior vice president over all the SeaWorld parks and traveled to Japan to negotiate a park in Osaka. Around that time, the parent company was deeply in debt from fending off a hostile takeover, and the Osaka park didn't happen. The company sold the SeaWorld parks to Anheuser-Busch, which still owns them.
He kept his position under the new ownership and retired to San Diego in 1991.
=============
Visitation:
Friday May 08
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Funeral Service:
Friday May 08
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Interment:
Friday May 08
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
El Camino Memorial Park
5600 Caroll Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA
=============
REMEMBRANCES
So many memories of Grandpa! I remember him making me pancakes in the mornings before school. The pancakes were in the shapes of sea turtles and Shamu. Another memory was when grandpa watched golf on TV. He was so into watching the golf that he wouldn't allow us to pass across in front of him until there was a commercial. Obviously this was a big problem for us little girls. I have many fond memories of grandpa and I will always miss him. Cari
Posted by: Cari Saxby Temecula, CA May 17, 2009
----
One of my favorite memories of my grandpa was when he used to take me to golf lessons every Saturday. I looked so forward to my Saturday mornings with my grandpa playing golf and then going to lunch after. After his leg was amputated, my mom wanted to keep taking me to golf. I wouldn't go because I told her golf would never be the same without grandpa with me too. Another great memory is growing carrots with my grandpa. We would plant the seeds, and then all summer I would check every time I went to their house to see if they were ready. Grandpa loved gardening, and I loved spending the time with him and I was so excited to eat the carrots I grew myself!
Posted by: Erin San Diego, CA May 11, 2009
----
I will never forget the first time that I met Uncle Erne and Aunt Winona. My dad and I flew into San Diego and Erne was in the baggage area holding a sign with our last name. I will always remember Erne's smile and the great talks that we had. Aunt Winnie, I am glad that I was able to come and spend the summers with you and Erne and I will always appreciate the time I was able to be with the both of you. May God comfort you and be with you in the days to come.
Posted by: Marilyn Malaney Houston, TX May 07, 2009
Born of immigrant parents from Belgium who had met in the United States, Erne was born on October 28, 1926 in Snoqualmie Falls, WA and lived most of his youth in Walla Walla, WA. Erne left high school before graduating in April 1944, joined the U.S. Navy, and became a hard-hat diver cleaning up the harbor in Naha, Okinawa until WWII ended.
After the war, he remained in the Navy Reserve, finished high school, and received his private pilot's license. Erne was returned to active service at the outbreak of the Korean War, and was stationed on LST 819, transporting personnel, tanks, trucks, and equipment for the duration of his tour during the war.
Honorably discharged in 1951, he came to San Diego, met and married Winona Malaney, enrolled in junior college and eventually achieved a degree in Architecture from the U.C. Berkeley off-campus program. During the next ten years, as an A.I.A. architect, Erne worked for several different design and architectural firms, the largest being Richard George Wheeler and Associates, while he honed his skills. After leaving the Wheeler firm, he accepted a position as Manager of the Design and Engineering Department at Sea World San Diego. This work was to define the rest of his working career.
Being a father he became interested in Scouting and during the years, 1964-1969, he was a Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 274 in San Diego and loved to lead many camping and other outdoor adventures with his son and other scouts, and was recognized for promoting Scouting.
Erne handled the planning and many of the projects for the Sea World in Aurora, Ohio, where he and Winona lived for just over a year.
He was then promoted to Corporate Director of Development for building the Sea World in Orlando, Florida. By this time, Sea World had become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HBJ, and Erne worked on projects related to publishing facilities as the Administrative Vice President of HBJ, working closely with chairman William Jovanovich. At the same time, he continued in his new position as Vice President of Sea World of Florida, charged with the responsibilities of the further development of park expansion.
Finally, came the position for which Erne became most widely acknowledged. Besides being involved in the expansion into Texas of an HBJ-based book-distribution facility, he worked with San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros in bringing Sea World to Texas. Promoted to President of the Texas park, Erne oversaw all details of the building of the facility, even helping to personally lay some of the stones in the park's Avenue of the States.
He was to receive a First Place Award from the Architectural Design Awards in 1991 for his design and use of block glass at the entrance of the San Antonio Sea World park. The park's grand opening was featured on a C.B.S. special, Sea World's All-Star Lone Star Celebration, in June, 1988, with dignitaries from around the world attending.
Erne was ultimately named a Senior Vice President over all the Sea World parks, and was assigned to the task of traveling to Japan in order to negotiate the opening of a park in Osaka, Japan. That deal never happened, however, as HBJ decided to sell control of the parks to Anheuser Busch.
Although he retained the same position with Anheuser Busch, working with all of the parks in design and serving as a technical advisor, and was involved in talks about expanding Sea World into other countries, Erne decided to retire in 1991 and returned home to San Diego, CA.
He then served as a consultant to several companies who were pursuing the possibilities for establishing other marine parks, primarily in Florida and Mexico, while at the same time enjoying the retirement activities of golfing, gardening, and researching his family's geneology.
Erne is survived by his wife Winona, daughter Andrea Hollenbeck (San Diego, CA), son Victor (Atlanta, GA), grandson David Chew, granddaughters Cari, Jessica, and Erin, and 4 great-grandsons, Michael, Billy, Mitchell, and Brandon.
A viewing, followed by a military service with interment, was held at El Camino Memorial Park Friday, May 8.
The following article was also published in the SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS NEWS:
As an executive with Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Erne Godyn helped bring SeaWorld to San Antonio.
Godyn, who served as the first president of SeaWorld San Antonio, died May 1 in San Diego, Calif., of complications from diabetes. He was 82.
"I remember him as being the driving force behind getting the park built," said Fran Stephenson, a SeaWorld spokeswoman who worked at the park in its early days. "His expertise was in bringing it out of the ground."
At the time of SeaWorld's construction in San Antonio, publishing powerhouse Harcourt Brace Jovanovich owned the water park, which then had locations in San Diego; Aurora, Ohio; and Orlando, Fla.
In his role with the company, he supervised more than 180 subcontractors and thousands of workers who built the park, Stephenson said.
Godyn was born in Washington state and joined the Navy just before graduating from high school. He became a hard-hat diver and helped clean up a Japanese harbor in Okinawa. After the war, he went into the Navy Reserve and finished high school before serving in the Korean War. Once he was discharged, he went back to the West Coast, this time to San Diego, went through junior college and later received an architecture degree from an off-campus program with the University of California-Berkeley.
He worked for several architecture and design firms for a few years and then went to SeaWorld San Diego, where he worked as the manager of its design and engineering department. From working on projects at the Ohio park and then construction on the park in Orlando, he came to San Antonio as administrative vice president of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Initially, he worked on on a book distribution facility for the company and then focused his attention on SeaWorld. The park opened in 1988, and three years later, his design and use of glass bricks in the entrance to the park received an architectural award.
After his time in San Antonio, he received a promotion to senior vice president over all the SeaWorld parks and traveled to Japan to negotiate a park in Osaka. Around that time, the parent company was deeply in debt from fending off a hostile takeover, and the Osaka park didn't happen. The company sold the SeaWorld parks to Anheuser-Busch, which still owns them.
He kept his position under the new ownership and retired to San Diego in 1991.
=============
Visitation:
Friday May 08
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Funeral Service:
Friday May 08
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
El Camino Memorial - Sorrento Va
5600 Carroll Canyon Road
San Diego, CA
Interment:
Friday May 08
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
El Camino Memorial Park
5600 Caroll Canyon Rd.
San Diego, CA
=============
REMEMBRANCES
So many memories of Grandpa! I remember him making me pancakes in the mornings before school. The pancakes were in the shapes of sea turtles and Shamu. Another memory was when grandpa watched golf on TV. He was so into watching the golf that he wouldn't allow us to pass across in front of him until there was a commercial. Obviously this was a big problem for us little girls. I have many fond memories of grandpa and I will always miss him. Cari
Posted by: Cari Saxby Temecula, CA May 17, 2009
----
One of my favorite memories of my grandpa was when he used to take me to golf lessons every Saturday. I looked so forward to my Saturday mornings with my grandpa playing golf and then going to lunch after. After his leg was amputated, my mom wanted to keep taking me to golf. I wouldn't go because I told her golf would never be the same without grandpa with me too. Another great memory is growing carrots with my grandpa. We would plant the seeds, and then all summer I would check every time I went to their house to see if they were ready. Grandpa loved gardening, and I loved spending the time with him and I was so excited to eat the carrots I grew myself!
Posted by: Erin San Diego, CA May 11, 2009
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I will never forget the first time that I met Uncle Erne and Aunt Winona. My dad and I flew into San Diego and Erne was in the baggage area holding a sign with our last name. I will always remember Erne's smile and the great talks that we had. Aunt Winnie, I am glad that I was able to come and spend the summers with you and Erne and I will always appreciate the time I was able to be with the both of you. May God comfort you and be with you in the days to come.
Posted by: Marilyn Malaney Houston, TX May 07, 2009
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