Nicholas Kendall Gould

-Frank Borman, Apollo 8 Astronaut

It is with deep sorrow, we announce the death of Nicholas Kendall Gould, aged 39, on April 19, 2026.

Nick would have loved the above quote, because when he was able, he fully embraced it. His travels to Colombia, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Nicaragua and Mexico, immersed him in the exotic foods, unique cultures and foreign languages of which he was so passionate. He also enjoyed over-ocean visits to Hawaii and Puerto Rico. You will notice a theme here- warm locales. Nick much preferred sun, sand and surf to snow. During his life, the ocean was often a respite.

Nick was a proud California native- born on February 6, 1987 in San Francisco. He split his childhood between the two coasts- the first half spent in the Bay Area and the second half in New Jersey. He returned to the West Coast for college, but always treasured time spent in NYC.

Nick graduated in 2008 earning a BAS in Sound Engineering, and put his tech talent to work in various capacities ranging from live music production to corporate conferences. In recent years, he discovered he enjoyed hospitality work, and the public-facing roles it brought.

At home, he preferred fried chicken (extra crispy), or a burger (medium rare with bacon). He was a huge "Rick and Morty" fan. Nick was forever in search of shirts that were long enough to fit his 6' 6" frame. He enjoyed passionate political debates and solo coastal bike rides. Nick adored his elderly Yia-Yia and his young nephew in equal measure.

For most of his adult life, Nick navigated this world with much on his shoulders. He suffered from bouts of anxiety and depression stemming from childhood trauma, especially the loss of his father. He struggled for years with undiagnosed ADHD and developed substance abuse disorder as a result of trying to cope with his mental health challenges. Despite his repeated efforts at rehab with significant periods of sobriety, he just could not keep his head above water.

In the end, Nick chose to explore another realm- one free from pain, suffering, exhaustion and futility.

Nick is survived by all those he loved fiercely, and those who loved him. They include his mother Pam, stepfather Bill, sister Claire, stepsister Maggie, brothers-in-law Andranik and Mike, grandmother "Yia-Yia" JoAnn, nephew Bodie and other relatives and friends. Nick was predeceased by his beloved father Duncan and grandparents Scot, Lila, Stan, D'Arcy, Andy and Helen.

Nick...our son, our stepson, our grandson, our brother, our stepbrother, our brother-in-law, our nephew, our cousin, our uncle and our friend. You will always live in our hearts and memories.

Fair weather and full sails, Nicky.

“In Blackwater Woods”

Look, the trees

are turning

their own bodies

into pillars

of light,

are giving off the rich

fragrance of cinnamon

and fulfillment,

the long tapers

of cattails

are bursting and floating away over

the blue shoulders

of the ponds,

and every pond,

no matter what its

name is, is

nameless now.

Every year

everything

I have ever learned

in my lifetime

leads back to this: the fires

and the black river of loss

whose other side

is salvation,

whose meaning

none of us will ever know.

To live in this world

you must be able

to do three things:

to love what is mortal;

to hold it

against your bones knowing

your own life depends on it;

and, when the time comes to let it go,

to let it go.

- Mary Oliver, 1983