Obituary of William Gold II

William Gold II, age 89, of Denver, Colorado passed away peacefully on November 14, 2014. Bill was the loving husband of Bei-Lee, cherished father of Elizabeth (Alain), Katherine and Will III (Sheri) stepfather to Thomas (Kristin) Lau and Theodore (Jessica) Lau, brother of the late Louise and adored grandfather to Alexandra, Daniel, Willie, Coby, Nathan, Parker, Sammy, Nick and Juliette, beloved uncle and friend. He is also survived by his first wife, Ann Rittmaster Gold. Bill was an extraordinary man who celebrated and embraced life to its fullest. He had an unquenchable passion for travel and exploration. He was deeply curious about the world, always wanting to learn about people, their history and culture. At the same time, he always put his family and community first and lead by example to all those who knew and loved him. Bill was kind to anyone he met and quick to assist everyone he could. He was a leader, visionary, friend, and mentor to so many. Bill was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 17, 1925. He was the son of Nathan Gold and Evelyn Baum Gold. He graduated from Culver Academy and attended New York University and University of Nebraska. He proudly served as a First Lieutenant in World War II. Bill, along with his company of troops, was one of the first soldiers to liberate the Dachau concentration camp in Germany. For almost 20 years, Bill was President and CEO of Gold's of Nebraska, one of the largest department stores in the state. When the store was sold, Bill and his family moved to Denver where he founded Gold Inc., a distributor of baby products in the US. Even in his retirement, he consulted, taught, and helped his business world and local community improve. Bill served on numerous boards and had a deep commitment to the communities where he lived. In Lincoln, he was President of the Red Cross, Chamber of Commerce, University of Nebraska, South Street Temple and many other civic organizations. In Colorado, he served on the board of National Jewish Hospital and was the Founding Chair of Facing History and Ourselves in Colorado. Bill received many distinguished awards, but most recently received the National Jewish Health President's Award. Bill's great spirit and large presence will be missed by so many. His memory will be cherished by a large extended family and many friends. Memorial Service, Sunday, 2:30pm, Temple Emanuel, 51 Grape Street; Donations can be made on behalf of Bill to or National Jewish Health, 1400 Jackson St, Denver, 80206 or Facing History and Ourselves, 7150 Montview Blvd., Denver, 80220