David Gold '49 died November 21, 2010.
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DAVID L. GOLD ’49

 David Gold was born on November 14, 1928 in Brooklyn, N.Y.  Upon graduation from Suffield Academy, he entered Amherst College in September, 1945.  The enrollment at Amherst at that time consisted mainly of underage students and those physically unfit for military service.  Dave lived in Phi Delta Theta for his freshman year and I was assigned the room next to his.  Later we were to become roommates in Beta Theta Pi.  That began a long and solid friendship of sixty-five years. The second semester saw the enrollment of the college increase to some six hundred and fifty students as veterans returned from service.

David was a fine athlete, winning letters in football, basketball and baseball.  He loved to compete and had an excellent sense of games.  It was no accident that he chose to play quarterback and catcher so that the game was played entirely in front of him and he could read the opposition.

Following graduation, Dave spent two years in the St. Louis Cardinal minor league baseball system-first at Duluth where he laughingly claimed he was directly responsible for holding Bill Bruton to 66 stolen bases!  The second year he moved up a level to Allentown, PA. Dave served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, appearing in uniform for my wedding in 1951.  Subsequently, Dave married Estelle in 1953.

Dave and Estelle became involved in the administration of boy's camps both in Florida and New York.  While in Florida Dave became friends with former major leaguer, Dick Williams and he was very proud to be invited to attend the induction of Williams into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.  Dave and Estelle owned the Raquette Lake Boy's Camp in New York.  He was happiest there where he could be coach and mentor to young people during the challenges of maturing to adulthood.

Dave was involved for many years in the garment industry retiring as an executive of Nantucket Industries before moving to Stevenson Ranch, California in 1994 to be near family.  He was always an East Coast "guy", having lived in Englewood, Norwood and Mahwah New Jersey for many years.

Dave died November 10, 2010. Services were held at Cedar Park Cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey. Dave is survived by his wife of 57 years, Estelle, four children and eight grandchildren.                                                    

 He had the poise of an athlete, the courage of a decision maker and the confidence to act on his decisions.

 Farewell, Dave Gold, you played some fine innings.

 

—Don Dunbar ’49