In Memoriam

Raymond Charles Douglas Gould, BASc’50

Born March 2, 1925, in Camrose, AB, Raymond Charles Douglas died peacefully at home on December 27, 2011. Raymond is survived by his wife of 56 years, Hazel (née McKenzie); daughters Linda (Dave) and Susan (Rob); and son Brian (Lana). He is also survived by his grandchildren, Christine (Christopher), Jason, Keelan, Neva, Annika, and Chloe; great-grandchildren William and Noah; nephews Roderick and Richard Murray and James Coy; brother-in-law Ian Murray; and cousin Pam Puley. He was predeceased by his older sister, Muriel (Ian), who died in 1964.

After moving from Alberta to Vancouver when he was seven, Raymond lived with his  family in a duplex in the West End in Vancouver. This is where he developed his interest in swimming, sailing and exploring the North Shore Mountains. Following two years of service with the RCAF near the end of WWII, he attended UBC and in 1950 completed a degree  in engineering physics, which subsequently led him to the oil patch in Alberta.

It was in Alberta that he met his lovely tall wife, Hazel, who was also working in the oil business. After marrying in 1955 in Calgary, Raymond and Hazel left their jobs and started the Tall Girl Shop Ltd. retail clothing store for tall women. Their expanding and successful business led them to Toronto in 1986.

In 2009, they retired to Victoria to be closer to family. Raymond lived a full life that included many adventures and travels. These included a solo motorcycle trip around the perimeter of the US in his early 20s; several trips with his family to Hawaii and the Caribbean; and trips to Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Fiji, Bali, Thailand, and other exotic destinations. He sailed the Bahamas and Virgin Islands with his family in the late 70s on their 41-foot family sailboat. He had a lifelong passion for aviation and was an accomplished pilot flying small planes, gliders (SSA diamond badge), and model airplanes (built from scratch). He also enjoyed scuba diving, skiing, and swimming. He had a passion for several styles of music, and his love of music was passed on to his children who have gone on to become accomplished musicians.