David Michael Olin Godwin

David Michael Olin Godwin died surrounded by family and friends on November 4, 2014 in Johnston Health Hospital in Smithfield. Mike was born to Susan Dee Williamson Olin and David Olin in Lawton, Oklahoma, on November 28, 1961. In 1972, his family moved to Raleigh, where his dad, Worth Lewis Godwin, Jr. hailed from. Michael flourished in Raleigh, graduating from Broughton High in 1980. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University in 1995. He worked at Caterpillar in Clayton, NC until his disability retirement.

Mike loved music, and he had an encyclopedic knowledge and collection of rock. He loved to listen to bands at the clubs that flourished in Raleigh during the 1980’s. Before he was an engineer, Mike tended bar at many local establishments, and if you got a drink at Darryl’s or 42nd Street Oyster Bar during the 1980’s and early 1990’s, chances are Mike served you one. He was a connoisseur of beers, particularly Guinness and Duck-Rabbit Stout, and appreciated good food as well, especially an artfully made samich. Mike was proud fan of the NC State Wolfpack throughout his life. Mike was fun to hang out with, a sweet man with a calm demeanor and a gentle manner. He was a generous and funny man who fought his battles quietly and with dignity.

A host of family and friends will miss him dearly. Michael is survived by his father David Olin; his brothers Scott Olin, Shaun Bateman, and Worth Godwin; his sister Felicia Godwin and sister-in-law Rachael Cosky; his uncles Willy Martinez and Timothy Olin; and aunts Patricia Johnson, Martha Brady, Pamela Olin, and Sarah Olin. He was preceded in death by his mother, Susan Dee Godwin, his stepdad Worth Lewis Godwin, Jr., and his brother Brad Godwin. His family will be forever grateful to his friend Kelly Chason, who cared for Michael, kept him company, managed his affairs, and who helped him and all of us through the difficult years of Mike’s disability.

A celebration of Mike’s life will be held at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home at 300 St. Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC, on Monday, November 10, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. In lieu of sending flowers, please consider donating to HD Reach (http://hdreach.org/), a non-profit organization assisting patients and families affected by Huntington’s Disease in North Carolina, or to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (http://www.hdsa.org/).