Kenneth George Gould Jr.

Kenneth George Gould Jr. MD, PhD (Colonel USAF retired) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 12, 1929 and passed at the age of 96, August 10, 2025 in his home in Houston, Texas. He passed in grace tended by loving family.

Ken began his college education at 17. He pursued a double major at Duke University receiving a BA (economics) and BS (biology) in 1950. This was followed by an MD from Duke Medical School in 1954. He earned a Masters from Ohio State University (pulmonary physiology) during his second residency. In 1972 he earned his doctorate from the University of California San Francisco in pulmonology. He was double boarded in pulmonary and internal medicine.

During a 25 year Air Force career he received many commendation medals for service; including the Distinguished Flying Cross for valor during a mission over Hanoi (River Rats) while on a tour in Southeast Asia in 1966-67. Ken worked as a flight surgeon for NASA for the 1966 Apollo I and the 1975 NASA/Russian Soyuz missions. After retiring as a Colonel from the Air Force, he worked in several corporate health care settings before retiring as Medical Director, Exxon USA. He also served as a consultant to the United States Surgeon General.

Throughout his long life, Ken expressed an innovative intellect and caring nature. These qualities drove his excellence as a diagnostician. They also fueled a deep interest in and advocacy for disease prevention before this became a national priority. Once when asked, if you could do your whole career over again, would you have done anything different? He replied; "I would really have enjoyed doing basic science. We still don't understand the functions of most of the lung's cells. There were 27 (known types of cells) when I was doing my PhD work and now there are over 41. I'd like to know what each one of those different cells is doing."

Ken shared many interests and traveled the world with his beloved wife of 66 years; Joan Crowell Gould. With passionate intensity he pursued his interests: being a multi-engine and instrument rated private pilot, photographer, genealogist, church choir and barbershop singer, avid fly fisherman and golfer. Participating in a monthly story writing group for medical professionals and their spouses brought him joy. He loved astronomy and, with Joan, often travelled for star watching events. He was a devout Astros fan and had an encyclopedic memory of baseball and airplanes.

Ken was also an active member of the Northwoods Presbyterian Church for many years. He loved the companionship and community of friends whose lives enriched those of Ken and Joan. He is remembered for being available for medical and life counsel for friends, neighbors and those in need. He gave and received generously.

Ken is survived by his four children Anne, Cory, Ken III (Trey) and Sally and their families. He has seven grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Our family would like to recognize the long time loving care of sisters Margaret Sublet and Linda Barnes as well as the amazing care of Houston Hospice.

A small memorial gathering to honor him will be held at his home later in the fall.