Victor W. Goulding, 77, of Holyoke, Massachusetts and Lincolnville, Maine, passed away on September 17, 2023, after a short but valiant battle with cancer.

Victor was predeceased by his parents Sophia (Davidson) Goulding and Kenneth Goulding and his brother, Winthop Goulding.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Nancy (Crane) Goulding; his children, Scot Goulding and Heather (Goulding) Abidi; his grandchildren, Erin Goulding Costa, Melissa Goulding Dube, Matthew Goulding, Kelsey Goulding, Chloe Abidi, and Sebastian Abidi; and great-grandchildren, Declan and Scarlet. He also leaves behind his children’s and grandchildren’s wonderful partners, his many nieces and nephews, cousins, sisters- and brothers-in-law, and treasured friends.

A memorial service will be held October 14, at 1 p.m., at the United Christian Church in Lincolnville, Maine, with a private burial at French Cemetery, also in Lincolnville. 

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to make donations in his name to the Lincolnville Improvement Association, The Friendship Sloop Society, the Sussman House hospice facility at Pen Bay Medical Center of Rockport, Maine, or the American Cancer Association.

Vic graduated from Holyoke High School in 1965, earned Associates degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and continued a life of learning in whatever avenues were available to him. He worked as a draftsman, a mechanic, and an instrumentation & electronics specialist and foreman, spending the bulk of his career at Monsanto and a post-retirement reboot at Mount Tom Power Plant.

He was a loving partner to his wife, Nancy, and exceptionally caring father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

The folks lucky enough to have known Vic may have met him through one of a variety of activities or interests. They may remember the kid from Lynch Jr. High or Holyoke High school with the pompadour hairstyle and bright blue eyes, who sometimes focused more on cars than academics, who wasn’t too wild, but neither was he known to turn down an invite to have a beer or two. Maybe they were a friend with whom he worked on car engines and went on weekend Corvette drives. Maybe they were a work colleague to whom he always lent an ear and an intuition to help problem-solve. Or they could have played pool with him in one of many leagues he enjoyed over the years. They might have known him through St. Paul’s Church, Boy Scouts, the Holyoke Senior Center, or the Friendship Sloop Society, the Blueberry Wing Ding, or the Lincolnville Improvement Association in Maine. He may have helped them learn how to waterski on the Connecticut River or have hosted them on a cruise around the Penobscot Bay on his sailboat.

In whatever way he was in someone’s life, there were some constants. Vic was a clever, kind, and patient person who endeavored to do all things with integrity. He was a shining example of Yankee ingenuity and a natural teacher. He was a man of not necessarily many words, but an abundance of dad jokes. He was generous with his time, his offers to help, and his easy-going smile. He was a master at diagnosing any kind of mechanical, home improvement, or vehicle problem and patiently and persistently working on the fix. He spent countless happy times in the beloved Maine home his grandparents purchased around the turn of the last century and which will never seem the same without him, and was a true believer in the state slogan, Maine: The Way Life Should Be. He loved friendly competition, whether racing his Friendship Sloop in the regatta during the annual FSS homecoming in Rockland, ruthlessly running a pool table, or playing a game of Cribbage, horseshoes, or cornhole. In all of these passions, though, his prevailing joy came from sharing them with the people around him, his loved ones, his family and his friends. Those folks lucky enough to count themselves a member of this circle, know this without question and will miss him greatly.