Local veterinarian Charles Norman Gould of Bridgehampton died on October 14. He was 80.
Born in Montauk on June 13, 1935, to Abby and Norman Gould who owned a dairy farm in East Hampton, he was proud of his roots and liked to tell friends that his grandparents married at the Montauk Lighthouse.
Known as Charlie, Dr. Gould graduated from East Hampton High School in 1953. He attended the New York State College of Agriculture and graduated from the New York State College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell in 1959. He served in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps before starting to practice in Connecticut.
He returned to the South Fork and founded the Olde Towne Animal Hospital in 1965. He retired in 1999; the practice is now owned by Dr. Claude Grosjean, Dr. Rick Altieri and Dr. Dawn Stelling, who recalled that Dr. Gould “mentored us all in so many ways. His goal was to work for the greater good. He always treated everyone fairly and to see the good side in all situations. He was a father to all of us.”
His friend from Cornell days, Dr. Lewis Berman of New York City, said, “Charlie was an amazing person who lived life to the fullest. His intuitive competence as a diagnostician and skilled surgeon were incomparable. His skills as a raconteur and chronicler of East End history are unforgettable. As a friend, there was no one better.”
Aside from being a superb veterinarian, Dr. Gould will also be remembered for his great love of adventure, survivors said. He was a skilled sailor who mastered the art of celestial navigation when he took up sailing in the early 1970s. He made round trips from Sag Harbor to the Caribbean annually before eventually building a house in Anguilla. He was a longtime member of the Sag Harbor Yacht Club, where he served as commodore.
In addition, he had a pilot’s license and owned several planes over the years. His knowledge and love of history, politics and current affairs was impressive. Survivors said he will be remembered for his warmth, kindness, quick wit and hearty laughter.
Dr. Gould is survived by his wife, Adele Finaly Gould; a son, Steven and wife Michele; and a granddaughter, Shannon.
A memorial service will be held at a later date to be announced.
on Oct 19, 2015