June 10, 1941 – November 6, 2024
Dr. Richard Stephen Gould, 83, of Orcas Island, WA, and Ojai, CA, passed away on November 6, 2024, surrounded by his children, Maile, Tamara, and David.
Rick, as he was known to most, spent his career as a beloved family doctor in Ojai. An avid photographer and writer, he filled albums and journals with images and stories that demonstrated a keen eye and a knack for finding amusement in any locale or situation. He was a prolific videographer, who documented his adventures great and small, and who delighted in screening his “Nouveau Rick Productions” for audiences of loved ones. An accomplished pianist who began lessons at age three, Rick could play any song by ear; he cherished spending evenings at his baby grand with friends and family singing along to his jaunty and deft accompaniment.
Rick was a board member of the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival, and along with his wife, Cindi, was an ardent supporter of other organizations such as the Orcas Animal Protection Society, and SeaDoc Society. He also dedicated countless hours and energy to many institutions and events in California, including the Rotary Club of Ojai West, the Ojai Music Festival, the Ojai Wine Festival, and the Montessori School of Ojai. He supported research and testing for Tay-Sachs, a rare genetic disease. He created the Gould Family Foundation and encouraged his children and grandchildren to continue the philanthropic tradition, making donations towards medical research, arts, climate, education, and social justice.
Rick was born June 10, 1941, in Tuckahoe, NY, the elder son of Leon and Millicent Uslan Gould. Leon was Vice President of Health-Tex, a children’s clothing company founded by his own father, Morse. Millie operated an interior design company, Millicent Gould Interiors, in Westchester, NY.
Rick graduated from Horace Mann School in the Bronx, NY, in 1959, and Princeton University in 1963. In 1967 he received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Thereafter he underwent internship and residency training at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, HI, where he made many lifelong friends. In 1968, he was drafted into the Army and had orders to depart for Vietnam when his first-born daughter, Mara Leilani, was diagnosed with Tay-Sachs. The Army issued a compassionate dispensation which allowed him to serve at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii. In 1970, he enrolled in a Family Practice residency in Ventura, CA.
In 1964, while in medical school, Rick married Barbara Kaye. During their 14-year marriage, they had four children: Mara, Maile, Tamara, and David. After their divorce, Rick married Cindi Barr in 1980. The two of them enjoyed many years of traveling, entertaining, and volunteering, splitting their time between homes in Washington and California.
Rick was a true one-of-a-kind — generous, whimsical, exuberant, curious, adventurous, and thoughtful. He was devoted to his family, which included many cousins.
Remaining to cherish his memory are his children Maile Gould D’Arcy, Tamara Gould, and David Gould, and their spouses, as well as his grandchildren Kate D’Arcy (28), Luc D’Arcy (27), Emma D’Arcy (24), Riley D’Arcy (21), Hannah Thier (20), Izzy Thier (18), Ava Gould (17), and Amalia Gould (17), many of whom are pursuing fields that were near and dear to their “Papa Rick:” e.g. music, science, medicine, travel, and photography. Preceding Richard in death are wife, Cindi; daughter, Mara; parents, Millicent and Leon; and brother, Alan.
There will be a Celebration of Life the weekend of March 8, 2025 in Ojai. For more information please contact gouldfamilyfoundation@yahoo.com. Donations in his memory may be directed to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, or the Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival.
