Obituary of Frederick W. Gould, Sr.

Frederick W. Gould, born July 3, 1944 to LeGrand and Bernice (née Mills) Gould, and raised in Denville, passed peacefully with his children by his side at Hackettstown Hospital on July 1st, 2022. He is remembered fondly for his faith, sense of humor, generosity to others, and love for his family.

Fred graduated from Morris Knolls High School in 1962 and was a hard worker his entire life. He began his career as a police officer in Mountain Lakes, NJ and then became a private investigator.  But finding he was born to be an entrepreneur, he then started a burglar and fire alarm installation company, Par-Troy Alarms, and later an answering service, Emergency Dispatch.  He wrote and self-published a book “The Wishing Well," and founded Vesper Publishing.  He then found his true calling...selling, designing, making and installing signs! Fred owned and operated the sign business for over 17 years and certainly left a significant mark on the community and the people around him. 

Always a family man, he frequently participated in his children's camping trips and went fishing anywhere he could with his loved ones.  Having been a resident on Main Street, Hackettstown, for many years, Fred was known for sitting on his front porch, talking with best bud Larry, and waving at everyone passing by.  In his free time, Fred enjoyed playing chess, card games, keeping up with current news and politics, reading, Parcheesi, and spending time with his dog "Boo."

For many years, Fred loved going out to eat lunch at new restaurants with folks from high school. They endearingly nicknamed themselves “The Lunch Bunch.”  Fred’s faith in God was unwavering. He was a devout Christian who had a love for the Bible, reading from beginning to end multiple times, and a passion for sharing his beliefs with others, which made him a light in the lives of those who had the chance to know him. Above anything else, his grandchildren were his pride and joy.

He was predeceased by his loving wife, Ruth Ann, in 2003. While we mourn the loss of Fred Gould, we also remember the loved ones he cared deeply about and is survived by: sister Nancy (late spouse David) Murphy; by his four children (and significant others): Rick (and Kerri), Stacy Ann (and Jeff), Kim (and Peter), and Shawn (and Kathy); and by his nine grandchildren: Wesley, Spencer, Nathan, Nicholas, Joey, Kevin, Reagan, Quinn, and Alexis.

Per his wishes, all services will be private. Fred will be laid to rest with other family members at Rockaway Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Rockaway. Memorial Donations may be sent in his memory to Father John’s Animal House, 50 Father Johns Lane, Lafayette, NJ 07848. Please light a candle, leave a condolence, and share your favorite memory of Fred here to continue to celebrate the incredible life he bestowed upon us.