NATCHEZ — During his more than 50 years practicing medicine, Dr. William Godfrey has enjoyed some of the best days of his patients’ lives.

Godfrey, who retired from the Natchez Medical Foundation OB/GYN Clinic Thursday, said he has enjoyed his long career as an OB/GYN doctor because delivering babies is a “happy profession.”

But it wasn’t Godfrey’s first profession. Before attending medical school, he spent nearly five years working for an oil company in Texas.

“I had thought about going to medical school for a while, and I got word that if you didn’t use your G.I. Bill, you would lose it, so I thought I had better go ahead and go,” he said.

Godfrey said he chose to be an OB/GYN after seeing how the death of an aunt during childbirth one year before he was born affected his grandmother.

“She lost her only daughter, and she never got over it,” he said.

“I guess when I was thinking about going into medicine, that had a lot of influence on it.”

Godfrey estimates he has delivered close to 9,000 babies throughout his career, a feat that puts a smile on his face.

“I’ve always loved what I was doing,” he said.

Godfrey said he was lucky enough to find an ideal medical practice partner for 43 years in Dr. Thomas Purvis, who Godfrey recruited into the practice.

Purvis said Godfrey has always put his patients first.

“All the patients just loved him; everybody loved him,” Purvis said. “He did things for patients that other doctors wouldn’t do just to make sure they were taken care of.”

Retirement is bittersweet, Godfrey said, as it means he will no longer see his patients, some of which he has taken care of for 40 or 50 years.

“I always appreciated the women who let me take care of them all that time,” he said. “Many of them became old friends.”

Retirement, though, means Godfrey will spend more time on the golf course, playing cards and with his family.

Godfrey says he is sure his wife, Rose, will find something to fill his spare time.

“She’ll keep me busy, I’m sure,” he said, smiling.