Holocaust Survivor Harry Gould Marks 100th Birthday in Calgary

By Jana Zalmanowitz, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

(AJNews) – On June 21, Calgarian Harry Gould celebrated his 100th birthday. Reaching a century is rare. For a Holocaust survivor who went on to build a family, a career and a lifetime of service to his community, it is a milestone that speaks to extraordinary resilience.

Harry was born in Czechoslovakia in 1926. He lived a typical life of a child with his mother, father and older brother Joe. His mother was one of 13 children meaning Harry was surrounded by aunts, uncles and 30 cousins. In 1939, when Nazi Germany invaded, his family was rounded up and eventually sent to the Theresienstadt Ghetto.

It was in the ghetto that Harry started gaining the skills that would help him survive. His uncle, an electrical engineer, taught him electrical skills, knowledge which would serve him later.

Tragically, Harry’s parents were sent to Auschwitz, where they were killed. He and his brother were sent to Kaufering, a subcamp of Dachau. It was here that Harry survived by doing electrical work for the camp.

On April 29, 1945, Harry and Joe were on a death march to Allach, another subcamp, when American troops liberated Dachau. They returned to Czechoslovakia where he worked briefly on an uncle’s farm and then went on to technical school.

Two years into his 4-year program, Harry had the opportunity to immigrate to Canada, to join Joe in the Toronto area. It was there he met and married his wife of 50 years, Eva, and had his two sons, Paul and Bryan. Harry spent five decades as an electrician, overseeing major infrastructure projects including subway systems and nuclear generating stations.

Having lost their son, Paul, Harry and Eva moved to Calgary to be with Bryan who had come to work in energy sector. It was with that move in 1992, that Harry began his retirement.

Retirement became another chapter of service. Harry took it seriously, staying active and contributing to his community.  He volunteered at Heritage Park, helping maintain vintage vehicles in Gasoline Alley. He delivered Meals on Wheels for 12 years and welcomed visitors at Canada Olympic Park’s information centre. Of course, Harry had to stay physically active so he joined a seniors’ hiking club. Every Friday they would take a bus to the mountains where they would hike in the summer and snowshoe or cross-country ski in the winter. He retired from the club at the age of 92.

Although he cannot be as physically active as he once was, Harry is still celebrating life. To mark his 100th birthday, Harry gathered with about a dozen family members. Bryan said it was one of the few times he had seen his father visibly emotional and as some may say, the party left Harry a little verklempt.

As a survivor, to see life at 100 years old, with family you have created against all odds must be a feeling that’s hard to describe. When asked what he feels about being a century old, Harry says, “It feels good.” Elaborating, he shows gratitude for simple things. “I can still move around. I can see my family.”

Harry Gould’s life is a testament not only to survival but to perseverance. He endured unimaginable loss, built a family, enjoyed a long career and spent his retirement giving back to his community. In a century marked by tragedy and triumph, his life stands as a quiet but powerful expression of resilience. “By all accounts, he shouldn’t be here,” Bryan says. Yet at 100, Harry remains here, living a beautiful life.