Obituary for JOHN GOLD

John Gold of Valrico, FL, passed away unexpectedly on July 12, 2019. He was born December 23, 1954, in Piqua, Ohio, and grew up in Jacksonville, FL, where he graduated from Terry Parker HS. He went on to study art at Georgia Southern University. John is preceded in death by his father, Russell D. Gold, and brother, Gary. He is survived by his mother, Sondra Gold; wife, Trish Gold; daughters, Sarah and Amelia Gold; brothers, Keith (Laura), Ron (Lara), sister, Christie Gold; and several nieces and nephews. He was a loving husband, father, brother, son and friend. John met his wife in college, and they were together 43 years. John was a great wit with an uncanny ability to remember facts, events and details. He approached projects with a fearlessness that astounded everyone around him–he could fix anything, grow anything and make anyone laugh. His many passions including playing guitar (self-taught), cooking (never followed a recipe) and gardening (he could put a stick in the ground and make it grow), but his greatest joy was found on the water. He was an avid surfer, boater and fisherman. John headed the graphic arts departments at two major newspapers and was the recipient of many awards for his graphic illustrations and redesigns of newspapers. Later, he joined his family business in Tampa where he enjoyed a career as Vice President and Graphic Designer. The family will hold a private celebration of John’s life at a later date. They ask that donations be made in John’s memory to the following organizations: Ocearch ( and Surfrider Foundation (

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