Godman was one of nine children born to a trawler skipper man and a mother who worked in fish processing.
Renowned for his humility and integrity, he was a champion of the shipbuilding industry, particularly the Scott Lythgow yard on the lower Clyde.
[2] Bernard Ponsonby, the long-serving political editor of Scottish Television, described Godman as a "warm, gentle and empathetic man" whose career was characterised by "a special kind of integrity".
Ponsonby cited Godman's stand on abortion rights as an example of how he was willing to put his principles over his self-advancement, noting that he at one stage faced serious pressure from Catholic opponents who threatened his pre-selection over the issue.
"He displayed a moral courage in seeing down those in his local party who saw his support for a woman’s right to choose as a ground for cutting short his Parliamentary career.