Alan Linden Gould of Bedford Hills, NY, died peacefully on Sunday, July 23rd at the age of 74. Born in Brookline, MA, on July 18th, 1949 to Lillian and Lester Gould, Alan moved to Rye, NY, along with his sister, Joanna, in 1958. He graduated from Hamilton College in 1971.
Shortly after college, Alan married Mary Devaney, also from Rye, NY, to whom he was married for 50 years. Together, they bought a home in Bedford Hills, NY, and though the commute to Manhattan was long, he passed his time playing poker with other Metro-North regulars and (though unconfirmed) liked to say he once paid for a vacation with his winnings. Alan went on to live in the same house with Mary for the rest of his life.
Alan had a long career in PR and Publishing, including serving as the Director of Public Relations for Hilton International and publisher of Nation’s Restaurant News for 10 years, a role that allowed him to meet incredible colleagues and savor countless extraordinary meals. One of the highlights of Alan’s career was the privilege of delivering the commencement speech at Johnson & Wales University in 2007, where he received an honorary doctorate.
Alan’s greatest achievement was his family. He maintained a close relationship with his sister, Joanna, who visited often from Framingham, MA, as well with his extended family on the Devaney side. Alan was a loving, involved and supportive father to three sons-Jeffrey, Brian and Casey-spending endless hours coaching and cheering them on at baseball and other sports, and later secretly watching them in their summer golf caddy jobs from behind trees, unable to contain his pride. His favorite time of year was with his family in Maine over the summer, where he ate lobsters, swam with his boys in the ocean, and reluctantly rode bicycles.
In his later years, Alan was happiest when around his eight grandchildren: Caroline, Luke, Lucy, Madeleine, Emma, James, Molly and Sadie, whom he saw often. Alan’s sons and their wives, Rachel, Tina and Amy, remember him as a beloved grandfather with a knack for inventing indoor kids’ sports competitions that could be played without leaving the comfort of his favorite chair. In the past few months, he was famous in his hospital and rehabilitation facilities for having the best “I love you Grandpa” drawings on his bulletin board.
Alan will be missed by his family and friends, who will remember him as one of the kindest people they knew.
