Catherine 'Cathy' Gould, 91

Catherine "Cathy" Gould, 91, passed away peacefully on Saturday Sept. 19, 2026, after a brief bout of pneumonia.

Cathy was born in Modesto, California to Mendon and Virginia Byrer on Oct. 16, 1934. Her mother Virginia died when she was 2 years old. Because of her father’s itinerant work as an electrician, she was mostly raised by various loving uncles and aunts, including in the Lewistown and Mission Valley areas. In her high school years, she lived in Whitefish with her father, who was working on the electrical plant in the new Hungry Horse Dam.

Shortly after graduation, she met and married Paul Edwin Gould. Paul eventually was hired by the Northern Pacific Railway as a fireman and later an engineer. They moved to Missoula and started their family there. Cathy was so proud of their first little house on Park Street, having never experienced a permanent home that was truly hers.
After their sons were born, Cathy and Paul eventually bought a home up Missoula’s Rattlesnake Valley where they lived until 1985. 

Cathy worked for several years as a legal secretary for Garlington, Lohn and Robinson. Wanting to spend more time at home raising her sons who were nearing high school, she quit that job and devoted herself to being full-time mom and homemaker. While Paul’s job kept him working at all days and hours, Cathy bravely took her boys tent camping and boating at Flathead Lake and the Seeley-Swan. She also loved bicycling, hiking and cross-country skiing. She introduced both of her sons to downhill skiing, which they both still love, and made endless winter runs ferrying them back and forth to Marshall Mountain.

Cathy was a person of deep spiritual faith and wisdom. She sang in the choir and performed solos in church. She taught high school Sunday School classes and read and studied her bible regularly. She kept a constant prayer list of people to pray for. Many remarked how kind and caring she always was with others. She was also very artistic, playing piano and leaving her family with several stunning oil paintings.

In 1985, Paul transferred to Whitefish with the Burlington Northern Railroad. They eventually found a beautiful home on the Stillwater River, and Cathy flourished as a decorator, quilter and cook. She was one of those essential Christmas people, who loved everything about the season—the decorations, the tree, the gifts, the cooking, the family time and especially celebrating the deep meaning of the season.

During later years at this home, Cathy suffered a bad fall that precipitated steadily worsening scoliosis. Unfortunately, she was no stranger to severe pain.

In 2015, the couple sold their home and moved to The Springs Assisted Living, where Paul passed away in 2017. She moved to Buffalo Hills Terrace, into a beautiful apartment filled with many of her favorite things. She loved her place there but eventually had to move to skilled nursing care across the street. Throughout all her last years of suffering she remained kind and compassionate. She is deeply missed.

Catherine was preceded in death by her parents Mendon and Virginia, and by her husband Paul. She is survived by sons Daniel (Stacey Neary) and Greg (Christi Sharp); granddaughter TJ Gould and grandson Jeremy Gould.

A celebration of life and burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 18 at the Buffalo Hills Terrace Chapel, followed by refreshments and burial. Donations in her honor may be made to Compassion International, where she supported educating individual children for most of her life. Darlington Funeral Home is caring for her family.