Robert L. "Larry" Godwin

Robert Godwin ObituaryObituary published on Legacy.com by Dillard Funeral Home of Brundidge on Mar. 9, 2026.Robert L. (Larry) Godwin, 91, renowned artist, sculptor, painter, who worked from his studio in Brundidge, Alabama for more than half of a century, died on February 22, 2026. He had been living in Camden, Alabama in Wilcox County as a resident of a nursing facility The Pines. The cause of death was pneumonia with complications from an earlier stroke.For over a seventy-year period he excelled in creating sculptures of all kinds, from representational portraits to freestanding abstract compositions and fountains, that engaged viewers of all ages, and was recognized throughout the country for his large scale public art pieces that commemorated the invention of flight. He visualized his concepts through drawing and fabricating sculptures, many of which were interactive and kinetic with movable, and interchangeable parts, as well as water elements, that created a dialogue with audiences of all ages. His knowledge and versatility as an artist evolved from addressing problems of realization that arose in his projects, that related to engineering, hydraulics, electrical and mechanical issues, spatial design and craft in materials such as metals of various types, wood and ceramics.One of the areas of specialization that he continuously explored throughout his career was the contemporary use of the ancient "lost-wax" method of casting. These works resulted in a final project of castings in bronze, but this entailed working initially in malleable materials, and progressed to various stages of reproduction and preparation that were extremely labor intensive. He devoted buildings towards these endeavors, wax-rooms, welding and fabrication shops, and presentation spaces. His interest in personal and historic narratives can be viewed in public works as a muralist, particularly in Montgomery, AL. and in Pike County at the Pioneer Museum in Troy.While his own focus was more freely abstract and modernist in conception, he was often commissioned to create more realistic works. This resulted in a merging of styles in his best-known series of sculptural monuments in stainless steel of the famous Wright Brothers airplanes commemorating the centennial of their inventions, the first in powered flight.Larry attended Auburn University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Commercial Art and Design, after attending Pike County High School in Brundidge. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. Larry served as a Lieutenant in the Army National Guard, based primarily in Fort Polk, LA, prior to the Vietnam War. He was preceded in death by his father, Robert L. Godwin Sr., his mother, Mattie Lee Tomlin Godwin, a daughter, Selena Godwin Bogart, who died in 1993, and two brothers, Ronald Godwin, also a sculptor, and Michael Godwin, a designer of landscapes, both in the last two years. Survivors include a Granddaughter, Amber Bogart, a sister, Ann Carole Godwin Gaspar, and nephew Damon Gaspar, of St. Louis, MO.Services will be held at the Brundidge Methodist Church on Saturday, March 21, 2026 at 2:00 pm, followed by a burial at the Brundidge Lakeview Cemetery. A reception will be held at 4:00 pm at the Kennedy Event Center on Graham Blvd. In lieu of flowers, tributes may be made to the Pioneer Museum of Alabama in Troy, The Brundidge Public Library, The Brundidge Historical Society and the Johnson Center for the Arts.To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.