Karen M. Godfrey

Karen “Mickey” Michelle James Godfrey, 78, of Charleston, SC passed away peacefully and went home to be with the Lord in Liberty, NC at her daughter’s home on May 9, 2026. She had a five year battle with stage 4 COPD.

She was predeceased in life by her parents, Sidney James Jr and Faye Elizabeth Elvington; her brother, Sydney James III; her sister, Audrey Faye; and her only son, James Bryan Pinkney Godfrey, who only got to spend 22 years on this earth, which broke her heart into a million pieces in 1999.

She was born to Sidney James Jr and Faye Elizabeth Elvington in Columbia, SC on June 27, 1947. After graduating from Brooklyn Casey High School in 1965, she continued her education at Newberry College where she majored in English.

Mickey went on to pursue mortgage loan processing for 45 years. She worked hard and eventually started her own business called Metro Mortgage for several years. The stress of being the president was not what she was looking for, so she went back to loan processing and being down in the trenches with her clients. She helped thousands of people get new homes.

She first married Steven Hallman and had a daughter, Ashley, in 1970. Later, she married Carl Godfrey and had a son, Bryan, in 1976.

After retiring in 2018, Mickey continued to improve her yard gardening with unusual flowers, going to the beach, and boat riding in the marsh with her best friend and loyal dog, Lily.

Mickey is survived by her ex-husband, Carl Godfrey; her daughter, Ashley Christina Hallman; her sister, Sheryl Lynn Plott (Daniel); and several nieces, nephews, and grand nieces and nephews by her older sister, Audrey, and younger brother, Jamie. She also leaves behind her dogs, Gabby and Daisy, and her cat, Cali. They are mourning her deeply.

On a personal note, I would like to thank each and every one of her friends for being there for her, pulling her through and bringing some joy and compassion to her after her son’s untimely passing. You are forever in my prayers.

The funeral will be held at Lybrand Cemetery at 11:00 am on May 19, 2026, Tuesday, across from Celestial Memorial Gardens at 3111 Delree Street, West Columbia, SC.

In lieu of flowers, Mickey loved animals, so donating to your local ASPCA would be what she would have wanted.