Revealed: Daredevil past of man who died alone without a family
AN 88-YEAR-OLD man who died alone in a care home without any living relatives was revealed as a motorsport daredevil who competed in the most dangerous race in the world.
Tony Godfrey passed away last December but his life was shrouded in mystery as he had no known relatives and hadn’t written a will.
However, after a genealogist firm looked into his past, they discovered he had lived his life in the fast lane and was a British and US motorbike racing champion.
The fearless rider competed in the Isle of Man TT more than 20 times and made a “miraculous” recovery after a horror crash in 1963.
The Isle of Man TT, known as the most dangerous race in the world, is an annual motorcycle sport event run on the Isle of Man in the summer since 1907.
Since then, there have been 260 total fatalities across the different races on the island.
Finders International – stars of BBC’s Heir Hunters programme – were contacted by Bournemouth City Council to look into Mr Godfrey’s past after he passed away in December.
They discovered his only living relative was Elisabeth Wilson, Tony’s cousin once removed, who inherited his estate worth £30, 000 and two classic cars.
Ms Wilson, from Bath, Somerset, said: “I got the letter from Finders International just before lockdown and I was gobsmacked.
“I asked my son to look into it for me and he was happy to confirm it wasn’t a hoax. “I never knew or met Tony. “It’s very sad to think Tony died and we never knew each other. I am really not sure what I’ll do with the inheritance but I’ll most probably share it with my family.”