Francis "Frank" Parker Gould

GOULD, FRANCIS PARKER, 98 - Francis Parker Gould formerly of Stone Mountain, GA   passed away on March 8, 2020 at Gordan’s Hospice House in Statesville, NC. 

He was born September 4, 1921 in the Bronx, NYC to Robert Rutledge and Alice (Charlton) Gould. 

Frank Gould was predeceased by Elaine (Cook) Gould his wife of 58 years.  He leaves two sons - Kenneth P Gould (Shirley) of Clearwater, FL and Douglas A Gould (Linda) of Mooresville, NC, 5 grandchildren - K Chadwick Gould (Crystal) of Largo, FL, Ryan Gould (Claudia) of Rye, NY, Jennifer Lisek (Chris) of Clearwater, FL, Sheryl Burns (Tim) of Otto, NC and Bailey Rourk (Brian) of Concord, NC as well as 7 great-grandchildren – Spencer, Matthew and Bryan Lisek of Clearwater, FL.;  Ruby and Charlie Gould of Rye, NY ; Hudson and Landon Rourk of Concord, NC.

Mr. Gould grew up in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY where he graduated a year early from high school having excelled in academics as well as the chess team and the baseball team.  He received his college degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on structures from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY in Dec. 1943. He then joined the Army and served in a special unit that maintained military personnel data from around the world using “new specialized” equipment from Univac – the beginning of the “computer age.”  After WWII, he worked in NYC as a consulting engineer for Howard Needles, and then joined Rhode Island State University as a Teaching Assistant (Structural Engineering) in the Civil Engineering Department.  In 1949, he entered Yale University where he received his Master’s in structural engineering in 1950.  Frank then accepted an Associate Professorship of Structural Engineering at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL.  This was a homecoming for his wife, who grew up less than 75 miles away in Marion, AL.  In 1954, he joined the consulting firm of Palmer and Baker in Mobile, AL, where he had a major role in the design of the Lake Pontchartrain bridge in Louisiana - still the longest bridge in the world.  In 1963, he joined the US Department of Transportation (US DOT) in its Florida Division as Assistant State Bridge Engineer.  Over the course of the next 23 years, Francis Gould held positions of increasing responsibility; State Bridge Engineer for Georgia and then Deputy Director and Regional Structural Engineer for the Southeastern US.  His responsibilities included the oversight of the 90% contribution made by the federal government to the Interstate highway program as well as direct supervision of the 8 state bridge engineers in the Southeastern Region of the US DOT. Among the many projects that he oversaw was the design and construction of the new Tampa Bay Skyway Bridge.  He retired in 1986.  Frank enjoyed the past 8 years at Atria Lake Norman in Mooresville, NC.

Frank enjoyed his lifelong hobby of family history (genealogy).  His devoted research into both his and his wife’s family left an enduring legacy for his family.  This legacy is more than about the names and dates.  It included gathering and preserving family pictures reaching back into the 1800’s and preserving the stories that make our ancestors come to life.  Along with his wife, Elaine, Frank was an active member of the Smoke Rise Garden Club.

Services honoring Frank's life will be held privately by his family at a later date.

Memorial contributions may be made to Gordon Hospice House, 2341 Simonton Rd., Statesville, NC, 28625.

Online condolences and memories may be shared at kepnerfh.com