Tom's Life

On January 31st, 2022, Thomas Dale Gould passed away peacefully at home after a short battle with brain cancer. He is survived by his wife Elizabeth and their son Bill of Sioux City, IA, his son Zachary of Sioux City, IA, and his son Samuel (Natalie) and grandson Jonathan of Longmont, CO.

Tom was born on March 15th, 1951, in DeKalb, IL, to Marion Jeannette Gould and Alfred Dale Gould. He spent the majority of his childhood in Overland Park, KS. He served four years in the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War, stationed at Travis Air Force Base in the San Francisco Bay Area. Upon completion of military service, Tom established a long and colorful public-sector career in natural resource conservation. His work with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) included positions in Davenport, WA; Monroe, MI; Essex Junction, VT; Sioux City, IA; Le Mars, IA; and Aniak, AK, where he retired in 2012. He also briefly served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. Several of his final years were spent doing charity work in Kenya.

As a born-again Christian, Tom’s defining trait was his love for Jesus Christ and commitment to His teachings. In Sioux City, Tom found many opportunities to volunteer, including at the Gospel Mission homeless shelter, First Evangelical Free church youth program, and the Woodbury County juvenile detention center, just to name a few places. He listened to God for instructions on where and how to give financially, and tithed in accordance with scripture. Although his relationship with Jesus was the most important part of his faith, he was very well-read in theology. For a man with insatiable curiosity and eccentric interests, theology was clearly his most passionate intellectual pursuit.

It should come as no surprise, given his career, that Tom was an avid outdoor enthusiast. He enjoyed many types of fishing, hunting, marksmanship, camping, and wilderness excursions. “Getting out into Creation” was very important to him, as was going on adventures. In order to ensure that his next adventure would be successful, Tom would often acquire new knowledge and skills for situations he might encounter. Apart from adventure preparation, his drive for self-sufficiency was evidenced in his hobbies of woodworking, welding, repair work, and automotive mechanics. He also had an artistic bent encompassing guitar playing, whistling, photography, poetry, essay writing, and even occasional charcoal drawing. Another hobby of his was watching and playing team sports. He especially loved football, but his natural athleticism lent itself well to playing many sports.

Tom will be missed by many people because of the effort he put into relationships. He held his family above all else but God. He loved his wife Elizabeth with all his heart, and was a strong father figure to his sons – he took those jobs very seriously. He also valued relationships beyond the walls of his house, and welcomed many people into his life. He would want nothing more than to see us all again.

Nice Catch, Son

Zach and Tom

The Jolly Cameraman

Capturing every memory

Lake Champlain, VT (1)

Lake Champlain, VT (2)