John Cecil Gould, Jr., 85, of Ovilla, went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on October 14, 2026, in Dallas, Texas, surrounded by his loving family.

John was born October 6, 1941, in Vicksburg, Mississippi to John Cecil Gould, Jr. and Cornelia Barnes Gould.

John was raised across Mississippi and Louisiana, and graduated in 1961 from Rayville High School, in Rayville, Louisiana. In 1962, John proudly enlisted in the United States Air Force. It was when John was stationed in Amarillo, Texas that he met his future bride, Velma Autrey, and they were married on November 26, 1962, in Palmer, Texas. John and Velma were married for almost 52 years and were blessed with two sons, John and Craig.

During the last five years of Velma’s life, John was at her side every day, helping her deal with the effects of a debilitating stroke, before she passed away in 2014.

On August 7, 2017, John married Joyce Baker, and they were married for more than nine years before John’s death.

John was a resident of Ellis County, Texas for over 60 years, living in Palmer, Red Oak, and Ovilla.

John retired from the aerospace industry where he worked for more than 35 years at major defense contractors including Vought Aeronautics, General Dynamics, and Lockheed Martin.

The son of a Baptist minister, John’s faith was very important to him. He was a devout Christian and served faithfully as a member of Grace Baptist Church in Palmer. John served the Lord in many ways; he taught Sunday School, led music, worked in Vacation Bible School, and strongly supported the church’s mission ministries.

John was a wonderful father, grandfather, and great grandfather; his family was very important to him. When his boys were growing up, he enjoyed coaching many of their teams, and over the years rarely missed any of their games or events. John and Velma did whatever they could to make sure that their sons enrolled and graduated from college, and he often cited this as one of his most proud accomplishments. John was a big sports fan, especially college football. He was a huge fan of the Texas Longhorns!

John is survived by his wife, Joyce; his son John C. Gould, III and his wife Stacey, of Dallas; his son Craig Gould, and his wife Rebecca, of Keller; his five grandchildren: Katie Holiman and her husband, Blake; Kara Gutknecht and her husband, Lain; Kristen Gould, Josh Gould, and Ella Gould. In addition, John had three great-grandchildren: Parker Holiman, Preston Holiman, and Heidi Holiman.

Family visitation will be held Thursday evening, October 22nd from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the J.E. Keever Mortuary - Palmer Chapel, 200 W. Jefferson Street, in Palmer, Texas. John’s Celebration of Life will be held at 10:00 am Friday, October 23rd at Grace Baptist Church, 209 W. Jefferson Street, in Palmer, with Rev. James Smith officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Grace Baptist Church, PO Box 99, Palmer, Texas 75152, with donations to either the Children’s Ministry, or the church’s Cross Remodel Project.

Submitted by family