Veteran HES teacher, wife, mother, sister, friend
Barbara Ann Gould (Courtesy photo)
Barbara Ann Gould, who died late Saturday, March 16, at her home on Harvard Road in Bolton, brightened the lives of everyone who knew her. She radiated joy in life itself, smiled and laughed with her whole being, and kept a positive attitude even in the face of difficulties. She was a devoted wife, the best mother in the world, and a loving sister. A loyal and fun-loving friend, Barbara Ann was also one to go to for comfort. Whether you were a child with a sore finger or an adult with a weighty problem, she gave her entire self to listening actively and with compassion.
Barbara Ann (Vallo) Gould was born in Levittown, New York, in 1962 to Czechoslovakian immigrants who were proud Americans. While she was growing up, her dad talked to her often of all the fun they would have when he retired. Unfortunately, he died when Barbara Ann was seven, and they never got that time to spend together. Perhaps her memory of him, combined with her innate personality, compelled her not to postpone living fully but to make the most of every moment in the present. Her promise to herself, to her husband Jeff and daughter Darby, to her brother, and to friends was this: We will have as much fun as we can, while we can.
After attending Queen of the Rosary High School on Long Island, Barbara Ann received a degree in education from Boston College. One professor in particular recognized her as a “natural” and helped her finance another year at BC, during which time she received her master’s degree. That degree and the connections it generated got her to a job in the elementary school in Harvard in 1990.
As a teacher, Barbara Ann affected the lives of hundreds of children and their families over the years. She gave her students much more than knowledge of the 3 Rs. She gave them the gifts of curiosity, of laughter, of imagination and of kindness. She made learning joyful, for herself and for her students, taking classes and trying new things. While believing in academic rigor, she wanted to balance that with a curriculum that was developmentally appropriate.
Barbara Ann loved her colleagues, past and present, at Hildreth Elementary School and was always close to the assistants who worked with her in the classroom. She enjoyed creating curriculum for grade three and teaching grade five because of the discussions she could have with her students. As a special education teacher, she was, as her mother had been, a champion of those who struggled.
For the past 10 years or so, she was a kindergarten teacher, a perfect person to introduce children to public school, shepherd them through such a formative year, and launch them on their journey. Her former students would agree that, “All I needed to know I learned in kindergarten”—from a very special teacher, Mrs. Gould. She delighted in seeing the growth that happens during the kindergarten year. Students start as “babies” and end up as little people—and there was no one who put better “little people” out the door and on their way. Her “buddy class” was Chris Snell’s, and Barbara Ann loved working with him and seeing her current kindergarteners interact with many of her former students, who were now all-grown-up second-graders.
Pink was Barbara Ann’s favorite color, and as a pillow in her classroom announces, “Pink isn’t just a color; it’s an attitude.” Why settle for the “basics” when life offers so many opportunities to “accessorize”? Whether it was dressing her classroom, herself, and her car for every holiday or twirling a pen with a sparkly tassel on the end, or sporting funky glasses, or driving a red convertible or starting a Zumba class, Barbara Ann went for it. Why settle for just dinner with friends when they could make the night last longer? Be sure to giggle, but also move on to silly, side-splitting laughter.
Known by her initials to family and closest friends, B. A. loved Cape Cod and the beach and going on vacation cruises with husband Jeff and daughter Darby. She was very close to her brother, and they kept in constant contact, though separated by 3,000 miles. An avid reader, she kept a pile of books by her bedside and enjoyed poking around in bookstores. Her taste in music was eclectic, from classical to Lady Gaga, and always the Broadway musicals. She liked shopping, movies, social media, going out to dinner. An animal lover, she had birds and gerbils over the years and always dogs—her Yorkies were constant companions.
Barbara Ann lived her life with an unselfishness of which few people are capable. She was always the first to sign up to help a friend or family in whatever way she could. She reached out to others and continued to care about them, unconditionally, expressing her love in words and deeds. If she gave a card or gift—which she did so often and so generously—it was never something generic but always the perfect thing for that person.
Barbara Ann leaves her husband of 25 years, Jefferson Gould; her daughter Darby, who was her pride and joy; her brother, Dr. Michael Vallo of Oakland, Calif., and his longtime partner Anne Tuttie; her mother-in-law Dianne Newton and brother-in-law Josh Gould, both of Harvard; along with countless friends, colleagues, and students. But wherever there is compassion, laughter and music, love of family, fun and friendship, sandy beaches, kindness and unselfishness, and pedicures with pink polish—there is Barbara Ann.
A funeral service for Barbara Ann Gould will be held Saturday, March 23, at 10:30 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Harvard.
