August Curt Goldsmith

August Curt Goldsmith (Gus) passed away on December 26, 2020, from Alzheimer’s dementia and its complications. Gus, 83, was born in Merano, Italy on January 24, 1937. He married the love of his life Audrey in Washington DC on August 27, 1963. They have spent 57 very happy years together.

Gus received his Bachelor in Engineering degree at Bucknell University. He began his career in the Computer Industry in 1961. His work with NCR as a Computer Programmer and Systems Analyst took him from New York City to Washington DC, then to Balti-more, Chicago, New Orleans and finally to Dayton, Ohio. Gus left NCR to become Di-rector of Computer Operations at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.

Once settled in Dayton, Gus took an interest in ‘living off the land’. He built his first wood-heated solar-powered house, complete with solar roof panels, Trombe wall, and all the latest earth-friendly technologies available then in the late 70’s. His inspiration was the then popular Mother Earth News, so much so that his vacation trip one year was to Hendersonville, North Carolina, where the magazine was then being published. Hoping to meet the writers or publisher at headquarters, these ‘headquarters’ turned out to be a small wooden floored, dimly lit two room frame house on a dead-end street alongside a cornfield. The rooms were empty of personnel, but the single bare ceiling bulb gave sufficient light for Gus to sneak his way to the back room, where he discovered the printing press. Truly, down to the bare essentials!

Part of the lands Gus lived on was allotted to the animals — chickens, geese, goats, rabbits, etc, whatever could provide him food. His gardens had every variety of food imaginable, all grown with only natural fertilizers and pest controls. He tended bees for honey; grew grapes for wine; and planted literally thousands of trees during his lifetime for wind-breaks, erosion control, and fruit production. His avowed ambition was to leave his piece of this Earth in as good or better condition as he was blessed to find it.

Gus retired in 1990. He and Audrey traveled the country searching for the perfect place to retire. They found it in the Charlottesville area of central Virginia. They built a house on a piece of farmland in Ruckersville, then 15 years later moved to their current residence in Earlysville, Virginia.

During retirement, Gus spent many hours volunteering at local organizations. He was instrumental in starting the computer club at Charlottesville’s Senior Center. He also volunteered his computer skills at SCORE, an organization of professionals whose purpose is to mentor local start-up businesses; lent his computer expertise to set up one of Charlottesville's initial websites Monticello Avenue; participated in development of a website for Camp Holiday Trails, a camp for children with medical needs; taught EXCEL at Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center (CATEC); and mentored young children in computer skills at Computers for Kids (C4K) Charlottesville. Gus was an Air Force reservist.

Gus leaves behind his wife of 57 years, Audrey, his in-laws Danny & Marilynn Hopkin and Donald and Patty Hopkin, his sister Carmen Meyer, and many much loved nieces/nephews, grand nieces, and great grand nieces/nephew.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Teague Funeral Services on Ivy Road in Charlottesville. There will be no local viewing or funeral services. A memorial will be held later in the year in New York City, where his ashes will be interred in Hillcrest Mausoleum at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York.

Gus loved computers, and Gus loved children. If you would like to donate some-thing in his memory, please consider Computers for Kids (C4K), Charlottesville.