Walter Gould

1923 - 2016

Walter Leonard Gould, age 93, passed away on July 17, 2016, in Peoria, AZ. He was born in Burlington, Wyoming in 1923 to Claude Peter and Emily (Erickson) Gould, the eighth of ten children. His mother died when he was 6 years old, and he had a hard childhood, but with encouragement from his older brothers, Don and Earl, he graduated from Ten Sleep High School and went to the University of Wyoming. His education was interrupted by World War II and he served in the US Navy, a source of many stories. He returned to the University to graduate in 1948 and worked throughout Wyoming for the Soil Conservation Service until 1957 when he again returned to the University for his Master's degree. He spent three years at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, before earning his PhD in agronomy at Oregon State University in 1964. In 1966, he returned to New Mexico State and served on the faculty until his retirement in 1985. He showed great ambition and perseverance in pursuing his education and research career. In retirement, Walter enjoyed golfing early every morning. For him golf was an aerobic activity; he never used a cart and could finish nine holes in an hour. He always enjoyed a good story, and he liked to give people a hard time, all in good humor.
Walter leaves behind his beloved wife of 69 years, Lucille Iverson, and his loving family, daughters Dorothy Poulsen (Randy) of State College, PA and Karen Morrison of Savannah, GA; sons Ron Gould (Jenny) of Denver, CO and Bob Gould (Janice) of Phoenix, AZ; twelve grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. The last of his generation, he also leaves nieces Donna Gould, Grace (Gould) Brandt and Diane Lee, and nephews Walter and George Gould, and Lorin and Chad Davis, as well as his dear sister-in-law, Violet McCormick of Las Cruces, NM. His family have fond memories of fly-fishing, deer hunting and camping trips with him. He loved to dance, especially with his favorite partner, Lucille. They traveled throughout the US in their RV, including special trips to Alaska with three of their grandchildren and to New England to see the fall foliage. Walter had an amazing ability to remember every place he had ever travelled and how to get there. He loved to study maps and retrace his journeys. He always enjoyed life, worked hard, and remained committed to family. He will be greatly missed.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Gifts in memory of Dr. Walter Gould may be sent to New Mexico State University, PO Box 3590, Las Cruces, NM 88003. Correspondence or check memo should specify that the gift is for the benefit of student scholarships in the Plant & Environmental Sciences Department.