Gould H. Coleman

GARDNER - Gould H. "Bud" Coleman, 97, of 81 Bickford Hill Road, died peacefully Sunday afternoon, April 2, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.

Bud was born in Gardner on March 7, 1920, the son of Philip and Irene C. (Humphrey) Coleman.

He graduated from Gardner High School in 1938, where he was a member of the baseball and basketball teams, the president of his class for all four years and was class valedictorian.

In 1942, he graduated from Yale University, where he became a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army.  After basic training, he  graduated from Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.  He was assigned to the Signal Intelligence Operation at its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, where he participated in the decoding of the Japanese High Command communications.

In 1944 he was sent to North Africa and Italy, where he was a member of an intelligence group decoding the German field code communications.

After the war, he immediately entered Yale Law School and graduated in 1948.  He then served for a year as law clerk for Judge George Sweeney in the Federal District Court in Boston.

He opened his law practice in Gardner in 1949.  For many years he developed land in New England and Florida and continued his law practice until his retirement in 1985.

He was a founder of the Gardner Lions Club, was director of and attorney for The Knowlton Foundation for many years and was a member of Hope Lodge of Masons.

In 1946, he was married to Elizabeth D. Keyworth.  A son, Peter K. Coleman, was born in 1948 and a daughter, Nancy Coleman Weststrate, was born in 1957.  His wife Elizabeth predeceased him in 1995.  Betty and Bud celebrated 49 wonderful years together.  As a couple, they exuded a love of life, took tremendous pride in their city and showed great compassion for others.

In 1996, he married a life-long friend, Jane Greenwood Heywood.  Bud brought light heartedness and fun, security and comfort to his marriage with Jane.  They especially enjoyed traveling and socializing with family and friends.

A brother, Philip L. Coleman, predeceased him in 2007.

In addition to his wife Jane, he is survived by his son Peter, a resident of Palm Beach, Florida; his daughter Nancy and her husband Jacob "Jack" Weststrate, residents of Keene, New Hampshire and Peter's twin children, Jay Gould Coleman and Sarah Elizabeth Coleman, also of Palm Beach, Florida.

He is also survived by a nephew, Michael Coleman and his wife Josephine, residents of Westport, Massachusetts and their family, a niece Elizabeth "Beth" Coleman and her husband Peter Mellalieu of New Zealand, a cousin Maureen Carey of South Dartmouth, Massachusetts and her family.

He is also survived by his step-children, Jennifer Heywood of Gardner, Massachusetts and her family, Karen Greenlaw of Lynchberg, Virginia and her family, and Jeffrey Heywood of Golden, Colorado and his family.

Bud enjoyed playing golf most of his life and was proud of having made five holes-in-one.  When the Gardner Municipal Golf Course opened in 1936, he enjoyed several years of caddying there.  He would walk the course early in the morning and remain there until one of his parents would pick him up at the end of the afternoon.  When Bud wasn't golfing he was always thinking about it.

He also enjoyed Dixieland, Ragtime and Classical music, in particular Mozart.  An avid reader of biographies and historical works, Bud was known to read multiple newspapers daily.  Bud was also a fan of Bombay gin.

Spending time with his family was his greatest joy.  He took special pride in his grandchildren, Sarah and Jay, and delighted in showcasing their musical talent to friends and neighbors.  He thoroughly enjoyed Jane's grandchildren, Chris and Katie, and took a keen interest in their pursuits and encouraged them to follow their passion.  His was a life well lived.

Note:  Bud wrote a very proper obituary; this version was enhanced by his children.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 10 A.M. in Stone-Ladeau Funeral Home, 343 Central Street, Winchendon.  There are no calling hours.

Burial with military honors, will follow in Green Bower Cemetery, Gardner.

Following the burial, a reception will be held at Colonial Hotel, 625 Betty Spring Road, Gardner.

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