Philip Gouldstone Of Eastport Dies April 26, 2020

Philip Gouldstone, of Eastport, died of Covid-19 disease on April 26, 2020 at St. Catherine of Siena in Smithtown. He was 75 years of age. Mr. Gouldstone contracted Covid-19 in a rehabilitation facility where he had been since August of 2019. He was then hospitalized for five days, during which time visitors were not permitted.

Mr. Gouldstone was born in Whitchurch, Aylesbury, England to Leslie Joseph Gouldstone and Nellie Violet Culf Gouldstone. Mr. Gouldstone graduated from the High Wycombe College of Technology and the Chesham Technical Institute, and went on to become an Apprentice in the British Ministry of Aviation in the Rocket Propulsion Establishment Wescott.

Eventually, Philip followed in the family footsteps of his father and brothers, and worked in the record and tape manufacturing business for years, doing stints at Oriole Records, CBS UK, Island Records and others. In 1972, Mr. Gouldstone emigrated to America. He became Vice President of Engineering for Hauppauge Record Manufacturing, and an industry expert on the duplication of records, tape cassettes, VHS, and compact discs. One of Philip’s crowning achievements was building a CD manufacturing plant from the ground up. When he was asked how he knew the complicated criteria for building a CD plant, with its sterile air filtration system, he learned it all from researching and reading books.

After leaving HRM, Philip spent 10 years developing his own business: Handy Home Services. Not only was he a brilliant critical thinker, but he was mechanically gifted. His last employment position was with the South Hampton Town Building Department as a Town Building Inspector for 5 years, where he took extreme pride in helping people and regulating safety concerns.

Philip remained a British citizen, and his siblings still reside in England. But he loved America, and always held the US military in high regard, explaining how they saved England from complete ruin during WWII. Mr. Gouldstone honored the servicemen every Memorial and Veteran’s Day, and made a trip to Washington DC with the Honor Flight, so veterans could view their memorial.

Mr. Gouldstone loved nature and enjoyed vacationing in the mountains and lakes of the northeast. He was a photography buff, and passionately documented his surroundings. He began birdwatching and loved the hummingbirds in the yard. Philip also loved his pets - cats and dogs. His last dog, Oliver, was referred to “as my best friend.” Ollie died 6 months after Philip passed away.

He truly enjoyed helping people, whether it was volunteering at the Hampton Bays Senior Center, or carrying someone’s groceries. Philip even suggested that his mother-in-law come to live with them when she could no longer manage alone. He was a gracious caretaker for seven years. He had the gift of gab, and could talk to anybody.

Mr. Gouldstone is survived by his wife of 26 years, Janis Hurley Gouldstone. He had a first marriage to wife Carol (recently deceased) for 28 years. He is survived by their two children, Simon (Ashlee) and Hannah. Philip is also survived by his two brothers, David (Joy) and Roger (Jane), his brother-in-law Tom, brother-in-law Terry (Cathy), and sister-in-law Kim. He was predeceased by his beloved sister, Julia.

Due to Covid-19 last year, there was no funeral. Philip will be interred at the Eastport Cemetery on his birthday, Wednesday, July 14th at 4 pm. A memorial service to celebrate his life will follow on the beach at 6 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Philip’s name to the Alzheimer’s Disease Resource Center, the Alzheimer’s Association, or East End Hospice.