Joseph Edward Gould

Captain Joseph Edward Gould US Navy (Retired), a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, and devout poet and unselfish volunteer, died on October 6th in Fairhope, Alabama. He was two weeks shy of his 91st birthday.

Captain Gould was born in Brunswick, Georgia, to Potter and Lois Gould who were lifelong residents of Brunswick and St. Simons. He graduated from Glynn Academy in 1938 and attended Georgia Tech for one year prior to attending and graduating from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in June of 1942 with the class of 1943. His class was one of the first to be educated and pushed through in three years to support the demands of the war. His war service included duty in the USS Saratoga (CV-3) and Submarine school and service in the USS S-15 (SS-120) and USS S-11 (SS-116). Captain Gould was part of a special crew that took a surrendered Japanese Submarine to Hawaii from the deep Western Pacific at the end of the war. Other service included duty in Surface Combatants during the Korean war and Naval Intelligence during the Vietnam war with a specialty in Russia and the Soviet Union. Captain Gould would command the USS LSM-449, Destroyer Escort USS Silverstein (DE-534), Destroyer USS Brush (DD-745), and Mine Squadron Nine during his illustrious Naval career.

Captain Gould was accomplished in many areas and after his Navy retirement he became a real estate broker owning his own firm, Shorebird Realty, in San Clemente, California. He taught at San Clemente High School for a decade, as the lead Naval Science instructor for the school’s Navy Junior ROTC program, where he mentored numerous students and watched many of them launch successful careers both in and out of the military. Additionally, Captain Gould was a voracious volunteer who served as Church Council Member of many churches and Vestries, Chairman, of the Interfaith Serviceman’s Center—an oasis for Vietnam-era Marines and Sailors serving in the San Clemente area during the Vietnam war, as well as other volunteer endeavors. Most noteworthy, was Captain Gould’s outreach to enlisted Marines, whom he hosted in his home over a plethora of holidays to ensure these young people had a home cooked meal during a holiday spent away from loved ones. He treated all these Marines like family.

Captain Gould’s personal joy was writing and he published many of his works and song lyrics through the years, to the enjoyment of his family and close friends. His poetry was an inspiration to many special occasions and included serious pieces about patriotism, faith, love, and general humor. His wit and wisdom were legendary and he influenced many individuals of all ages with his infectious enthusiasm, positive outlook on life, and sound perspectives on many matters. His dear friends at Homestead Village and in the Fairhope community treasured his resilience, words, and warmth for the five years of his residence there. Captain Gould devoted time each morning to his crossword puzzles, always using an ink pen—as he rarely, if ever, made a mistake.

Captain Gould was married twice, to Ellen Winger, and to Katie Gould of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. He is survived by a son, Ronald, as well as a step-son, Rear Admiral Sonny Masso USN (Retired), and five grandchildren, Prom, Mina, Gabriel, Alexis and Colin, as well as his brother David of Brunswick. Memorial services will be held on Thursday November 3rd, 2011, at two o’clock in the afternoon at Christ Church Cemetery in St. Simons Island, Georgia. Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. www.edomillerandsons.com