York Harbor, Maine – The Rev. Dr. Wilbert Donald Gough, 104, of York Harbor, Maine, went to be with his Lord peacefully on Saturday, Aug. 13, from the result of his body just wearing out, which he worked hard to preserve over his lifetime.

Born in Davidson, Okla. on June 13, 1918, in a small house near a cotton gin, the son of the late Samuel Emery and Edna Mae Gough was raised in Dallas and Graham, graduating from Graham High School as the valedictorian in the class of 1935. While enrolled in Draughon Business College of Wichita Falls, he worked at Morrisons Department store as an accountant and office manager until the event at Pearl Harbor. Feeling lead to serve his country, he enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and was assigned as a Commissary man to the Philadelphia Naval Yard. It was in Philadelphia attending church that he met, fell in love with, and married Florence Isabel Arthur, in 1943, and decided to commit his life to serving God.

Honorably discharged from the Navy, he began the pursuit of acquiring a B.A. in Theology by taking courses at Philadelphia Bible College, Temple University and Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, while working for Tastykake and serving as a Pastor for Manatawna Baptist Church. Between 1946 and 1950, he was awarded a BA in Theology from Temple and a BA in Theology and a Master of Divinity from Eastern. He became Pastor of the Falls of Schuylkill Baptist Church in 1948. In 1953, he left Philadelphia to become the Pastor of Gilbert Memorial Baptist Church in Mount Clemens, Mich. Over the next 12 years, he led that church to renaming itself as the First Baptist Church and building a new church and custodian house that continues to serve that community. While there, he completed his Doctor of Theology degree in 1959 from Burton Theological Seminary of Colorado Springs, Colo. In 1973, he was awarded the Master of Divinity degree from Temple University and the Doctor of Divinity degree from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary for his service to churches in Waterloo, Iowa and Clarksburg, W.Va.

Pastor Gough moved back to Michigan as the senior minister of Grand River Baptist Church in Livonia and served until 1983, when he retired to Plymouth, Mich. However, God led him to come out of retirement to continue serving churches in Michigan (West Highland Baptist), N.H. (Hampton Baptist and Trinity in Seabrook), and Maine (Kittery Point Baptist and First Christian Congregational). While living in N.H., he served as a Staff Associate for The American Baptist Churches of Vermont and New Hampshire. Moving with his wife to a retirement community, he continued his service to God by leading Bible study groups in York Village and at Sentry Hill Inn in York Harbor, Maine. In February 2022 he was awarded the Boston Cane as the oldest living citizen of York, Maine.

His lifelong passion was to compose sermons to introduce the love of Jesus in the lives of others. In 2012 he published a book of sermons entitled “Life is Not Fair, But God Is.” He was known in the communities he served as “the guy who is always passing out sermons.” When not in public, he enjoyed doing the activities of accounting and reading stock analysts reports of companies in which to invest. Earnings from investments allowed him to practice philanthropy and the art of giving to support non-profit initiatives to provide funding for serving others for the good. But foremost to Wilbert was his family and what he could do to help them. He had a strong thirst for “news” about what was going on in the life of a family member, as well as friends and acquaintances. Always, it seemed, wanting to know how he could help. A spiritual and kindhearted man, his pleasure was worshiping in church and sharing the good news of the Bible. He often reflected on his life and cherished memories, always grateful to God for the blessing He bestowed on him.

Surviving family members include his son, Wilbert Donald Gough, Jr. and his wife Susan of New Castle, N.H.; his daughter, Diane Elizabeth Fowler and her husband Phil of Midlothian, Va.; grandsons Brandon (Corona, Calif.), Matthew (New Castle, N.H.), and Jeremy (Brooklyn, N.Y.) Gough; granddaughters Erin Murray (Kenilworth, Ill.), and Stephanie Smith (Henrico, Va.); great-grandsons Adam Gough, Oliver Gough, and Leo Gough, Grant Smith, Hudson Smith, and Braden Smith; great-granddaughters Charlotte Gough, Olivia Leonard, and Julia Leonard; sisters Sammye King (Richland Hills) and Loretta Harris (Abilene); many cousins, nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Wilbert was predeceased by his wife Florence Isabel (Arthur) Gough, his sister Ruth Williams, his brother Charles Gough, and his granddaughter Amy Leonard.

Visiting hours will be from 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 at the J S Pelkey & Son Funeral Home, 125 Old Post Road, Kittery, Maine, 03904. A Funeral Service will be held at First Parish Church, 180 York St, York, Maine, 03909, on Aug. 20 at 11 a.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Burial will be at Forest Hills Cemetery, 25 Byberry Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA, 19006. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations may be sent to Eastern University 1300 Eagle Road St. Davids, PA 19087 or eastern.edu/giving (The Rev. Dr. Wilbert D Gough Memorial Fund). To leave online condolences, please visit jspelkeyfuneralhome.com. Care for the Gough family has been entrusted to the JS Pelkey & Son Funeral Home.