James Gould Obituary
Published by Legacy Remembers on Oct. 29, 2007.
James P. Gould, MD
Des Moines
James P. Gould, MD, age 79, died peacefully at home on the afternoon of October 29, 2007. Visitation will be held Thursday, November 1 from 4:00 ??" 8:00 PM with a Rosary at 7:00 PM at Brooks Funeral Care, 7975 University in Clive. A Mass of Christian burial will be held Friday, November 2 at 1:00 PM at St. Augustin’s Catholic Church, 545 42nd Street in Des Moines and will be presided over by Dr. Gould’s son, the Rev. James R. Gould and the Rev. Dudley Day.
Dr. Gould was born on March 17, 1928 in Chicago, IL. He attended Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic grade school and the Jesuit led Campion high school in Prairie du Chien, WI, where he graduated in 1946. He earned his undergraduate degree at Loyola University of Chicago and his M.D. at Loyola’s Stritch School of Medicine. Following medical school in 1953, he met and married his wife of fifty four years, Alice Day Gould, B.S., R.N., also of Chicago. Dr. Gould performed his internship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and from 1954 to 1957, served as a captain in the United States Army Medical Corps.
Suffering from terrible stomach pain as a teenager led Dr. Gould to his lifelong passion for identifying and curing rare digestive diseases. He had specialized training in internal medicine at the Lahey Clinic in Boston and the University Hospitals in Jackson, Mississippi. He earned a degree from the Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia studying under the distinguished gastroenterologist, Dr. Henry Bockus and furthered his gastroenterology studies at the University of Washington in Seattle and Georgetown University in Washington D.C.
In 1962, Dr. Gould selected Des Moines, Iowa as an attractive, growing community to establish his private practice and raise his family, opening an office on Fourth Street across from Mercy Hospital. His practice was interrupted briefly by a tragic motorcycle accident in 1966 that left him with multiple fractures and months of physical therapy. The accident did not dampen his enthusiasm for motorcycles ??" he developed a skill for competitive motorcycle hill climbing and at age 65, was awarded a trophy for being the “Oldest Motorcycle Hill Climber in Iowa.???
Based on years of practice and research, he authored three books: “When I Eat, I Hurt,??? to help patients understand their abdominal pain and speak intelligently with their doctors; “Think Zebras, When You Hear Hoofbeats,??? a two-volume set on rare digestive diseases; and “Remember Like a Computer After Age 60,??? an instructional book on memory techniques he developed.
Dr. Gould was a tireless advocate of patients' rights and outspoken in his opposition the health rationing by HMOs and other managed health care organizations. He was also an advocate of doctor's rights, as a founding member and treasurer of the Federation of Iowa Physicians and Dentists.
A devout Roman Catholic, one of the ways he gave back to the community was by running ads in local shoppers for people who were alone on Thanksgiving and Christmas, treating them to a group dinner out on those holidays. He was always grateful for the support of his colleagues who referred patients to him and for the patients who entrusted him with their lives. He retired from his practice in November of 2005 and until the very end, possessed an uncommon, yet always infectious curiosity for the pursuit of medicine and ways to bring comfort to patients.
In addition to his wife, Alice, Dr. Gould is survived by his nine children, Jean M. O’Brien (Patrick) of Denver, CO; Father James R. Gould of Fairfax Station, VA; Maj. Patrick F. Gould, PhD (Molly) of Middleton, WI; Marie Therese Nolan, PhD (Patrick) of Beltsville, MD; Catherine P. Gould, JD of Dallas, TX; Maureen Dillenburg (Michael) of Lemont, IL; Michael S. Gould (Addy) of West Des Moines; Callista Gould of West Des Moines; and Mary J. Yowell (Philip) of Dallas, TX. He was also the proud grandfather of 21 grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, MI; The Poor Clares in Alexandria, VA; or EWTN in Irondale, AL, which he watched faithfully every day.