Community remembers local teen as ‘Thunder Ridge celebrity’ after unexpected passing

IDAHO FALLS — After nan unexpected decease of their 19-year-old son, a section family is carrying connected his bequest of bringing joyousness to nan community.

Blake Kent Godfrey passed distant connected May 29 owed to complications from a seizure disorder.

According to his parents, 4 siblings, and galore friends, Blake lit up nan room, whether it was a classroom, a market store, aliases his favourite spot — his house.

“We couldn’t spell into a shop aliases anyplace without personification going, ‘Blake!'” says Blake’s mother, Stephanie Wellard. “If he saw personification he knew, you’d opportunity to him, ‘Blake, look!’ And he would conscionable ray up.”

Blake Godfrey | Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Wellard

A proud Thunder Ridge High School Titan, Blake was known by galore for his emotion of community. He loved participating successful schoolhouse tone weeks, attending schoolhouse assemblies and interacting pinch his classmates.

Blake besides participated successful nan Field of Angels shot program, wherever he sewage his first tee-less deed past summer, and was connected a special-needs cheer team.

“I coached Hillcrest cheer for a fewer years, and those girls were his biggest fans, and he was theirs,” says Wellard. “He besides loved bowling. The saccharine proprietor of Bowlero would fto him and his worker astatine Journeys’s Developmental Disability Agency vessel for free and knew him by sanction each clip he came in. Blake was a friend to everyone, moreover if nan different personification didn’t cognize it.”

But astir of all, Blake loved his mom.

“We would joke that he’s my defender canine that protects our house,” says Wellard. “When it was clip for group to go, he knew he was expected to opportunity ‘Thank you for coming.’ So he would outcry ‘Thank you for coming!’ and push them retired nan door.”

Blake’s stepfather, Seth Wellard, says Blake was dedicated and devoted to his mother, making judge he knew wherever she was, who she was with, and what she was doing astatine each times.

“Blake’s world was his mom,” says Seth. “He loved his mom.”

Blake Godfrey pinch his parents and siblings. | Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Wellard

According to Blake’s parents, he loved his mom truthful overmuch that 1 time astatine school, he decided he missed her, and conscionable had to spell location and spot her.

“Blake tricked schoolhouse staff, snuck retired of school, and ran astir 3 miles home,” says his obituary. “He cheerfully peeked done nan windows of nan beforehand doorway and yelled, “Mom! I’m home!” soon earlier concerned constabulary officers arrived.”

A family friend, Rachelle Miller Waite, is asking nan organization to donate to nan family owed to nan overwhelming ceremonial expenses.

“I met Blake erstwhile he was a toddler. His mom, and I became instant friends,” says Waite successful a Facebook post. “I’ve watched Blake turn up and execute each nan things group didn’t cognize if he would ever beryllium capable to do. He was wished and stubborn. He was truthful funny. He touched nan lives of everyone. He is simply a Thunder Ridge High School celebrity.”

If you would for illustration to donate for Blake’s ceremonial expenses, you tin nonstop donations to nan family’s Venmo account: @Stephnseth aliases scan nan QR codification below.

Venmo aid QR codification for Blake Godfrey’s family.

“We person received countless stories of students that he touched pinch his saccharine spirit,” says Wellard. “His emotion for life was contagious and he made you want to beryllium a amended person.”