Joseph “Joe” J. Gula, 66, of Auburn, NH, died on February 2, 2022 after a long fought courageous battle with COVID-19.
Born in Manchester, NH on April 7, 1955, he was predeceased by his parents Peter and Alice (Nassoura) Gula and his brother David. Joe was a proud lifelong resident of New Hampshire.
Joe graduated from Trinity High School, Class of 1973 and later earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of New Hampshire and a Masters of Business Administration from Rivier University.
Until his recent retirement, Joe was a professor of business law and marketing at New Hampshire Technical Institute for over 31 years. He had a profound effect on his students and was honored as the first recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award, received the Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence and had also previously served as Head of the Business Department. Beloved by faculty and staff; his greatest joy was mentoring his students, many of whom returned to campus and kept in contact for decades to thank him for his support and guidance. He was a remarkable educator in the truest sense of the word as his influence stayed with his students long after they left NHTI.
Joe was an avid outdoor enthusiast, enjoying hiking, cycling, kayaking, cross country skiing, and spending summers in Maine. His most recent hobby was mastering the skills of drone photography. Spending time with family, friends, and his dog Watson was when he was most happy. He will be remembered for his kind and gentlemanly demeanor.
Joe is survived by his sister Carolyn “Cookie” Gula, Kathleen “Kate” Kelly, his loving partner of 22 years, both of Manchester, NH and her children, Sam Theodosopoulos, of Seattle, Washington and Zoe Miniter, and her husband Ian of Longwood, Florida. Joe also leaves behind many dear cousins and close friends whom he deeply cared for and cherished.
Calling hours with masks and social distancing will be held on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 from 4 to 7 pm at J. N. Boufford & Sons Funeral Home, 110 Bridge St. There will be a brief prayer service at 6:30 pm during calling hours.
A celebration of life will take place on April 8, 2022 at 2:30 pm in Pine Grove Cemetery.
For those who wish to make a donation in Joe's name, the family requests in lieu of flowers: contributions be sent to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org or to the Trinity Helping Trinity (THT) Relief Fund, to assist those THS families directly impacted by the pandemic with tuition assistance, 581 Bridge St., Manchester NH 03104, trinity-hs.org.
For more information and online guestbook please visit www.bouffordfuneralhome.com