Ronald P. Gouse

Ronald Paul Gouse, 84, of New Hartford, NY, passed peacefully at home on June 26, 2025, after a long battle with PLS. A devoted husband, father and son, his story is that of many Central NY'ers of his time, 1st and 2nd generation Americans of immigrant stock who valued hard work, education, thrift, good food and the comfortable rhythms of family and routine.

He was born on January 2, 1941 in Utica, NY, son of Charlotte Parzych Gouse and Sylvester William Gouse. He was raised on the West side of Utica and he found the love of his life, Cecelia Azzarito, on the East side. He attended Utica public schools, receiving an excellent education and graduating from Utica Free Academy in 1959. After a brief stint at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, he could not bear to be apart from Ceil, so he finished his undergraduate study at Utica College earning a BS in Physics. Marriage and family came quickly upon finishing college and Ron began his career at General Electric in 1963. He worked in the Defense Electronics Division and completed an Advanced Engineering Program in 1967. After 23 years at GE, Ron left to start a new business, Integrated Sensors Inc., an engineering services and design firm, from which he retired in 1998.

His leisure pursuits included gardening, renovating old houses with his wife and classic cars. He could call out the year, make and model of any car coming or going and appreciated seeing the rarer ones. He liked dining out with his wife and family and was a regular at the Uptown Grill on Auburn Avenue for decades. He enjoyed taking his children to the Utica Public Library, teaching them cribbage and challenging them with a good old-fashioned DIY word scramble on a yellow legal pad.

In his retirement, Ron and Cecelia spent time between New Hartford and Naples, FL, where they enjoyed visits from their family. It was then that the grandchildren discovered how much Nonny and Poppy loved to dance, especially the jitterbug. Together, they enjoyed doing NYT crossword puzzles to completion seven days per week, leading to daily competitive Wordling.

His life was nurtured by a quiet pace which afforded satisfaction from music, birdsong and flowers, from having a cold Utica Club after work on the porch, from gathering with friends and family and from reveling in the accomplishment and reward that come from a job well done, whether it be shoveling the driveway, washing the car or breathing new life into an old house with ""good bones"".

Ron is survived by his loving wife, of 62 years, Cecelia Azzarito Gouse; daughter, Beth Cecelia Gouse, (Jeff Beatrice), of Arlington, VA; daughter, Karen Gouse Colberg (Erik), of Lyme, NH; son, Ronald Paul Gouse (Manon), of Arroyo Hondo, NM; and grandchildren, Nina Marie Beatrice, Isabel Mae Gouse, Anna Grace Beatrice, Sivi Marie Colberg, Nicholas Pietro Beatrice, Tage Anders Colberg, Ada Cecelia Gouse, Lily Gouse Colberg and Silas Owen Gouse.

The family would like to thank his caregivers, Mary Lourdes, Rose, Sue and Kayla, as well as the incredibly wonderful Hospice team.

A Memorial Gathering will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, 12-2 p.m., at 9 Gilbert Rd., New Hartford.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Hospice & Palliative Care or the Utica Public Library.

Arrangements are under the guidance of John L. Matt Funeral Home,Chadwicks, NY. To send an online message go to www.johnlmattfuneralhome.com.