Donald E. Gould, 82, of Lawrence Street died on March 16 at the Peabody Home in Franklin.

He was born in Concord on May 19, 1932, the son of Everett and Gladys (Wilcox) Gould. He graduated from Concord High School in 1951. He earned a BS from the University of New Hampshire and an MS from Rutgers University.

Don was a chemical engineer, specializing in packaging, at Union Carbide Corporation and retired as a Consulting Engineer in 1994. He also holds patents for plastics technologies.

He moved to Andover in 1999 and attended the Kearsarge Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Don served tirelessly in the community with the Andover Planning Board, the Andover School Board, the East Andover Village Preschool, and the Andover Historical Society.

Don’s dedication to the school and to the community was unrelenting. He brought a wealth of knowledge and an earnest desire to provide the students of Andover with the best education.

Under Don’s leadership, Andover Elementary/Middle School saw many changes and improvements, beginning with successfully bringing to the voters the warrant article for a new gym floor and on to projects such as efficient, cost-saving gymnasium lighting, life safety code updates, advances in educational technologies, and additions to the playground and amphitheater.

In 2013, Don was the driving force behind the adoption of full-day kindergarten. His involvement with the East Andover Village Preschool yielded a new playground and many improvements to the playground and facilities. He brought an unparalleled energy and commitment to all his projects.

In all of his roles, Don served with pride and respect for all involved. Don and his wife were honored in 2014 as Citizens of the Year by the Andover School Board.

Members of his family surviving include his wife of 62 years, Marilyn (Bachelder) Gould of Franklin and Andover; a daughter, Barbara Couturier and her husband Paul of Newton Centre, Massachusetts; two sons, Allen Gould and his wife Joy of Conway and Douglas Gould and his wife Hilari of Wayne, New Jersey; four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and four step-great-grandchildren; a brother, Ken Gould of North Groton, New Hampshire; and many nieces and nephews.

A celebration of Don’s life will be held on Saturday, March 28, at 11 AM at Chadwick Funeral Home, 235 Main Street, in New London, with visiting hours on Friday, March 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.

Memorial contributions may be made to Andover Elementary/Middle School, 20 School Street, Andover NH 03216; or East Andover Village Preschool, 7 Chase Hill Road, Andover NH 03216; or Kearsarge Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, PO Box 1578, New London NH 03257.

To sign an online guestbook, please visit ChadwickFuneralService.com.