James Gough Obituary
James W. Gough, M.D. January 30, 1950 – July 11, 2024
James W. “Jim” Gough, 74, a longtime resident of Brooklyn, NY passed away on July 11, 2024, at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York after a long illness.
Jim was born in Schenectady, New York to William “Bill” and Gretchen “Peggy” Gough, world travelers who instilled in him a great spirit of adventure. When Bill was transferred to the General Electric offices in Colombia in the 1960s, Jim attended high school in Bogota, where he became fluent in Spanish and acquired a love of Latin America.
He earned his B.S in chemistry from Antioch College in 1973 and his M.D. from the New York University School of Medicine in 1977. While a student at NYU, he helped organize studentsto demand that the medical school become tuition-free and in the process annoyed the Dean so much that he was invited to leave the school. But he stayed and graduated, and decades later, through his work and that of many others, NYU Medical began offering full-tuition scholarships to all its students.
In 1980, Jim completed pediatric training at the Residency Program in Social Medicine at Montefiore Hospital and received primary care training at MLK Health Center in the South Bronx. After he finished medical training, Jim ran the School Health Program at Brookdale Hospital and opened aprivate practice in pediatrics, to which he dedicated his life. Jim was a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, a board member of the Brooklyn Pediatric Society and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at SUNY Health Sciences Center at Brooklyn. He was known as a tireless worker in all that he did, but he wasalso an impressive napper, with the ability to nap anywhere and anytime.
Jim had many great loves. More than anything, he loved his wife and soulmate Maria Gomez Gough. He also loved food – especially Maria’s cooking. He loved to laugh, lou d and often. He loved to tell stories. And he adored his beautiful extendedfamily. Every summer they would drive to some gorgeous corner of the country to go hiking, camping and swimming. There he would regale his children with mythic stories of his own life and escapades, inspiring them to have epic adventures of their own.
Throughout his life, Jim was a champion for those he loved — for his kids, for his patients, for his friends and for his brother Tom, who had his own beautifully unique path through this world. And Jim’s love was returned fully and unequivocally. During his last difficult months in the hospital, his family was continually at his side, amusing him and surrounding him with affection. He passed away gently, embraced by all that love. His sharp intelligence, open heart, easy laugh, and endless good will are deeply missed.
Jim is survived by his wife Maria, their children Marino, Massiel, Gretchen, Juan Carlos, and William “Billy,” and eight grandchildren.
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