Susan E. Gould

1929 - 2017

Susan Emerson Gould passed away on Thursday, March 9, 2017. She was born on August 9, 1929, to Ralph and Florence Emerson in Seattle, Washington, where she grew up. After attending Whitman College and graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in Chemistry, she worked at Crescent Spice Company as a research chemist. On August 27, 1950, she married the love of her life, Ramon Gould. They made their home first in Seattle, then moved to Edmonds, WA, in 1960 where they raised their three children, Kevin, Meredith and LeaAnn. Susan was very active in her community, known as a strong advocate for education and an early proponent for environmental protection. She was twice elected to the Washington State Senate, serving from 1975-1983, where she chaired the Senate Energy and Utilities Committee and prevented the proliferation of nuclear power plants in Washington. She was a member of the Edmonds School Board from 1968-1974, and prior to that was president of the Snohomish County chapter of the League of Women Voters. Susan was chairperson of the Snohomish County United Way Board of Directors and chaired the Central Washington University board of trustees on which she served from 1983-1994. She had several groups of close friends and loved spending time with them and with her family at her summer cabin in eastern Washington. She was a highly skilled cook, seamstress and bridge player. She is survived by her husband, Ramon, three children and six grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on March 31, 2017, at 3:00 p.m. at the Edmonds United Methodist Church, 828 Caspers St., Edmonds. In lieu of flowers, family members ask that donations be made in her memory to: CRISTA Senior Living, Good Samaritan Fund, 19303 Fremont Ave. N., Mailstop 15, Shoreline, WA 98133, or League of Women Voters at lwv.org.