Gould, John Douglas (continued) Meantime, young Gould had periodically crossed paths with a member of another Southeast family : Mary Ravlin. They attended Marshall High together, but it was not until 1950, when Mary and John happened to meet one day in Ivey's Soda Shop, that they began to see more in each other. Mary left for a job in Manhattan, but John successfully argued his first and most important case in convincing Mary to return to Minneapolis and get married, which they did on March 27, 1951. The bond proved loving and lasting. Mary and John were an inseparable team for 64 years, raising five children, and deeply involved in the lives of their grandchildren. Gould's mother Florence led her family to St. Paul's Church in Minneapolis, where John and siblings were baptized. There he served his church with the same wholehearted enthusiasm with which he turned the small family firm of Merchant and Merchant into one of the largest and most prestigious patent law firms in the nation. Eventually he served as Senior Warden at St. Paul's, and then as longtime Treasurer at St. Stephen's Church in Edina. He also did work at the House of Prayer, and was steadily involved in many projects of these active congregations. In a letter sent to his sons, published in his memoir (Legal War Stories, ©2010), Gould emphasized the faith which undergirded his approach to life : a basic gratitude, a commitment to love and care for others. In a passage in Legal War Stories, Gould praised a certain judge as "a straight arrow" : the phrase captures the essence of the man himself. At the end of life, John was too weak to talk. Yet his mind was still lucid, his sense of humor intact. So he developed a kind of sign language, the centerpiece of which was a firm, oft-extended handshake, given to Mary, his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and longtime friends. On his last day on earth, he developed a new sign : he would point up toward the ceiling, and slowly inscribe a circle. It seemed he was telling us he was leaving soon. He was going to join that greater circle of light on high, in which he had already for so long played a glowing part. John Gould is survived by his wife, Mary Ravlin Gould; his daughter Cara Holmberg (David); four sons, Henry (Sarah); James (Barbara); William (Grizelle); and Michael (Noralva); ten grandchildren - Alexander, Amanda, Ben, Iñigo, Joseph, Julia, Molli, Monica, Nina (Will), and Phoebe (Khaled); and one great-grandchild, Sophie. A memorial service will be held Thursday, May 28th, at 11 a.m., at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 4439 West 50th St., Edina, MN 55424, reception immediately following. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to : The St. Stephen's Fund c/o St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, 4439 West 50th St., Edina, MN 55424. Washburn-McReavy.com Edina Chapel 952-920-3996