Zilliah C Gould

Zilliah “Jane” Chapman Gould was born in New Smyrna Beach, Florida on January 16, 1932. She grew up on Pioneer Trail with her father, Nathan Russell Chapman, her mother, Agnes, her older siblings Lester, Zadah Vermelle and Zilliah Jane made the family of five complete. Jane was a good student attending Faulkner Street Elementary School, Live Oak Junior and Senior High School and graduated on June 8, 1950. Eight days later she married her sweetheart, Jay Haydon Gould, beginning a 51-year marriage rooted in love and devotion. Jay was an established plumber and pipefitter, and they began a family in1953 when Donna was born in January and Cindy came along in February of 1958. Jane loved her family but felt there was more for her to do. So, she went to college to become a teacher. Jane graduated from Stetson in 1963 and started teaching that same year. She started teaching kindergarten, then taught 4th 5th,6th grades while at Faulkner Street Elementary. Later when Faulkner Street School closed, she went to teach first and second grade at the newly renovated Chisholm Elementary School in 1986. She was a passionate teacher that demonstrated a firm hand, yet was fair, patient, and compassionate about her students’ educational success. She made a lasting impact on everyone she taught. She retired in June of 1993 and traveled the United States, Canada, and Panama with Jay. Zilliah Jane and her sister Zadah Vermelle grew up during the depression years and lacked essentials, just like everyone in that era. They realized how important an education was and how expensive a college degree could be for students who did not have a solid financial base. In 1995 they co-founded CAPS (Community and Alumni Providing Scholarships), a program devoted to giving scholarships to deserving New Smyrna Beach graduating high school seniors. This organization has given over one million dollars to countless students since 1995. This was just an extension of her lifelong belief in the power of education and financial support to change the lives of the next generation. She was a member of the Historical Society of New Smyrna Beach, Florida and a member of First Baptist Church of Daytona Beach. Zilliah Jane Gould loved her family, their love, hugs, visits, smiles and their constant involvement in her life. She is survived by two daughters, Donna Adams, Cindy (George) Crandall of New Smyrna Beach (NSB); five grandchildren, Jay (Stephanie) Adams of Denver, Christi (Dale) Franz of NSB, Joshua Adams of Jacksonville, Florida, Jeffrey (Lorena) Salter of NSB and Kara (Ben) Asby of NSB, and 10 beautiful loving great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind several nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly and many friends and acquaintances she lived with at Lexington Place in NSB. The following ceremonies will be at Settle Wilder Funeral Home, 406 South Orange Ave., New Smyrna Beach, Florida. The Viewing will take place on January 26, 2026 at 10:00am followed by the funeral service from 11:00am-12:00pm, and interment at Edgewater Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to VITAS or Community and Alumni Providing Scholarships (CAPS).

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