Charles Gould, Veterinarian
Charles Norman Gould, a longtime veterinarian and founder of the Olde Towne Animal Hospital in Southampton, died at home in Bridgehampton on Oct. 14 after a short illness. He was 80.
“He mentored us all in so many ways,” the present owners of the hospital, Claude Grosjean, Rick Altieri, and Dawn Stelling, wrote. “His goal was to work for the greater good. He always treated everyone fairly and saw the good side in all situations. He was a father to all of us.”
Dr. Gould, who was called Charlie, was born in Montauk on June 13, 1935, to Norman Gould, a dairy farmer, and the former Abby Parsons. He grew up in East Hampton, was proud of his roots, and liked to recall that his grandparents had married at the Montauk Lighthouse.
Dr. Gould graduated from East Hampton High School in 1953, completed pre-veterinary training at the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Ithaca, and graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University in 1959. After graduating, he served in the Army Veterinary Corps before starting a practice in Connecticut. He soon returned to the South Fork, however, founding the Olde Towne Animal Hospital in 1965. He retired in 1999.
Lewis Berman of New York City, Dr. Gould’s longtime friend from their days at Cornell, said that “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.”
His family and friends said that his knowledge and love of history, politics, and current affairs was most impressive. No one, they said, will forget his warmth, kindness, quick wit, and hearty laugh. He also will be remembered for his love of adventure, his family said.
He mastered the art of celestial navigation after taking up sailing in the early 1970s, and was a longtime member of the Sag Harbor Yacht Club, which he served as commodore. He made multiple round-trip voyages from Sag Harbor to the Caribbean, ultimately building a house in Anguilla. He also was a pilot and had owned several airplanes.
Dr. Gould and Adele Finaly Gould were married on Sept. 19, 1998. She survives him, as do a son, Steven Gould of Sag Harbor, and a granddaughter. A sister died before him.
Dr. Gould was cremated, and his ashes will be buried at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in East Hampton.
A private celebration of Dr. Gould’s life will be held at a date to be announced.