Hy Gold...His life was a vibrant and extravagant song!

Obituary for my Daddy... Hy Gold 

January 31, 1933- November 20, 2019 

Daddy (Hy) Gold went from “Spry Hy” to heaven-bound, on November 20th 2019, peacefully leaving this earth and making his heavenly grand entrance & debut at the pearly gates. He is now singing with the angels on a  stage surrounded by streets of gold and will forever be celebrated and missed by so many loving family members and adoring friends.  

Born during the depression on the lower east side of New York City, he understood the value of hard work and sought for himself a better life, one of giving, serving, succeeding, and of living the American dream. As a veteran of the US Air Force, Dad served as a Dental Lab Specialist in West Germany during the Korean War. He repaired and restored the dental function and the smile of many great men wounded in battle.  

Upon leaving the military, my father used the GI Bill to obtain his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees and became an Industrial Arts teacher, teaching electric shop class for the New York City Public School System at Shellbank JHS, Brooklyn for many years. While encouraging them to reach their goals, he never forgot to laugh with his students. By taking pride in inventing his own unique educational games and dedicating himself to serving children, he taught us all to love learning and made education fun.  

While his serious work ethic was a force to be reckoned with and his rules were not to be broken, he was always playful, always laughing, dancing, singing, and looking for adventure. A few years after meeting my mother Ruth at an ice-skating rink in NY, he raised his two children, my brother Ira and me in Brooklyn, NY, working hard to afford us all the joys and comforts he did not himself have as a child. We grew up with all kinds of lessons in piano, singing, dance, acting, and more. Whenever he was able to, he took us to the theatre, to craft fairs, and to art and music festivals, always enriching our lives. 

His life was also a vibrant and extravagant song. There was always music in the air at the Gold residence. Gathering around the piano to belt out Broadway showtunes and Jazz Standards was an almost everyday occurrence. Family and friends who visited during these times were a captive audience and sometimes joined in on the fun. To Dad, entertainment was everything because it provided a feeling of great reward and a  sense of renewal from the rigors of daily life.  

On the Weekends and in the Summers, Dad showed off his impressive tennis skills. An avid tennis player, he played for over 60 years, teaching the sport at Kingsborough community college and also in the Catskill Mountains of New York. He spent many Summers coaching the young children at camp. Introducing himself for the first time, his smile would come alive as he politely invited all the campers to shout “Hi Hy!," welcoming all the children with loving arms.  

In addition to his love for dancing, the arts, and adventure, Hy Gold will be most remembered for his beautiful voice and musicianship. Leading a weekly sing-along with Mom  at Century Village, Boca Raton for over 20 years, he felt compelled to unite his community with music. Inviting them to share their own songs and delighting the residents with his soulful sound and saxophone solos was one of the greatest joys of his life. He was often accompanied by Ruth in duets and occasionally,  Ira and I would drop in for surprise duets as well. 

 

While wearing his charming and contagious smile, Dad took us by surprise when he began showing symptoms of a stroke. Admitted to Delray Hospital the second week of November, he was diagnosed with a mass on his brain. By God’s grace, until the week before his immediate decline, he was in a state of joyful delirium, even singing “New York, NY” with the singing teddy bear we delivered to his room.  

Just one week before his heavenly entrance, my Dad received the official diagnosis of (High-Grade Glioma) brain cancer, went into the loving care of Trustbridge hospice, and passed seven short days later. He was spared from years of pain and anguish because his life was gone with the blink of an eye and just one short week prior, he went out with a song.   

My dad, Hy Gold, leaves behind his wife, Ruth (Ovett); his son, Ira and his wife, Anna; his daughter, ME-Michelle and my husband, Joseph Franco; his grandchildren, Arianna Gold, Marc Gold, Eliya Bella Franco and Micah Franco. He is also survived by his sister, Bea, and many nieces and nephews. Those who preceded Mr. Gold include his father, Max Gold, his mother, Ida Gold (nee Galub), his brother Sam and his sisters Ray and Claire. 

  

Though we wish Daddy Gold could have been with us just a little longer, we are confident that he is now playing a tennis match up in heaven with the angels and singing in glory. His smooth vibrato singing will be forever ringing in our hearts. 

There will be two services:

One... a private memorial service will be held for family and close friends @ Babione-Kraeer Funeral Home in Boca Raton on 12/7 by invitation only please due to limited seating. Pls call 615-377-1101 if you are a close friend of dad and if for some reason we have forgotten you or not obtained your number.

Two... Burial ceremony will be a brief but beautiful military funeral with one special song and "taps" for Dad. The second service is at the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, FL- open to the public- on Monday, December 9, 2019 at 1:30 pm.  

 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you would make a donation to St. Jude’s Research Hospital for children. Click on the link below to contribute to the Hy Gold Memorial Fund for Children. 

Hy Gold's Memorial Fund for Children at St Jude

 

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