Obituary of Arthur L. Gould

Arthur Layton Gould After a long and full life, Arthur L. Gould, a resident of the Turnbull Nursing Home, died peacefully on Saturday April 25, 2009 with family at his side. He was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia on November 23rd, 1913, the son of the late William and Laura Gould. Mr. Gould graduated from the Cumberland County Academy and then continued his education through course work at Queens, Dalhousie and Mount Allison Universities. In 1936 he graduated from the Nova Scotia Teacher’s College. Mr Gould taught at Greenville Station, West Wentworth, and served as Principal of Greenwood School in Thorburn, Pictou County. His extensive background in mathematics and the sciences resulted in his secondment into the Royal Canadian Air Force at the start of World War II where he served as a meteorological officer. In 1941-1942, Mr Gould helped to establish the first Weather Services at the R.C.A.F. airport in Goose Bay, Labrador. His work there provided weather services to the Royal Air Force Ferry Command Pilots. From 1942 to 1945 he served as the Chief Meteorological Officer at the R.C.A.F. Station in Saint John at the Millidgeville Airport. It was at the Millidgeville Airport that Mr. Gould made the transition from wartime service to work as a civilian meteorologist. He also worked at the Loch Lomond Airport, the city Weather Offices on Douglas Avenue and Canterbury Street and served as the Port of Saint John Meteorological Officer. Mr. Gould volunteered as the Chief Ground School Instructor for the C. K. Beveridge 161 Air Cadet Squadron and served for over twenty years. He also conducted Ground School Courses for the R.C.A.F. Flying Scholarship Cadets at the Millidgeville Airport, teaching Aircraft Mathematics and Navigation. In 1957 Mr. Gould, in partnership with his friend Bayard McIntyre pioneered television weather broadcasts in the Maritimes. Their daily Weather Show on CHSJ-TV continued until 1974. In 1957 Mr. Gould transferred from the Department of Transport to the Department of Veterans Affairs where he served as the Area Staff Training and Development Officer for Atlantic Canada. In 1967 he was appointed Director of Personnel for V.L.A. for the Atlantic Provinces and Director of Personnel for the Lancaster D.V.A. Hospital. The transfer of the Lancaster Hospital to the province of New Brunswick in 1972 resulted in Mr. Gould’s transfer to D.V.A. Headquarters in Ottawa. In 1974 he was appointed Director of Personnel Services for Camp Hill Hospital in Halifax and Regional Director of Personnel Services for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in Atlantic Canada. In 1976, Mr. Gould co-ordinated the transfer of Veterans’ Hospitals across Canada. In 1964 Mr. Gould was elected to the Common Council of the City of Saint John. He served as Deputy Mayor on the Mayor Stephen Weyman Council and in 1966 was appointed Mayor of the City of Saint John. As Chairman of the Co-joint Council he provided leadership in the amalgamation of the cities of Saint John, Lancaster and Simonds Ward. On January 1, 1967 Arthur became the Mayor of the newly amalgated City of Saint John. He was elected as Deputy Mayor again in 1967, 1969, and 1971. In July 1969, following the death of Mayor Avard Loomer, he took over the Office of Mayor and served in that capacity for the next five months. In addition to his work on Common Council, Mr. Gould also served on numerous Boards and Commissions. In 1967 Mr. Gould was awarded the Queen’s Centennial Medal for his contribution to municipal government and youth groups. Mr. Gould served as Mayor, Deputy Mayor, or Councillor for the City of Saint John for a total of twenty-two years. Mr. Gould was predeceased by his wife of forty-four years, Lillian Douglas of Lansdowne, Pictou County, Nova Scotia in 1988 and also predeceased by his brothers, Vaughan, Harold, Ivan, Delmar and John, all of Amherst, N.S. He is survived by his son, Arthur Douglas Gould (Louise Levesque) and two granddaughters, Suzanne and Natalie Gould. Mr. Gould is also survived by his sister Myra Gould, Amherst, N.S. and many nieces and nephews. Resting at Brenan’s Select Community Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John (506) 634-7424 with visiting on Monday and Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 pm. Funeral Service will be held from Portland United Church, Newport St. on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 1:30 pm. Interment will be in Fernhill Cemetery. Remembrances made to the Canadian Cancer Society, The Kidney Foundation, Turnbull Nursing Home or the 161 CK Beveridge Squadron, Air Cadets would be appreciated by the family. www.brenansfh.com