By Paul Halloran

As a ticket-topping city councilor and a modern day ice cream man, Tom Gould is a pretty popular person in Peabody. Everyone seems to know – and like – him.

Gould and his wife, Sharon, have owned Treadwell’s Ice Cream for 16 years. They have two adult children – Cortney Hurley and Michael Gould – and a granddaughter, Quinn. Gould is in his third term as a city councilor and an indefatigable volunteer. You could offer a reward for a photo of him not smiling and never pay it.

ONE had to dig deep to come up with the scoop on Gould you may not have known:

Vanilla: He is a Broadway play aficionado, especially fond of the music. “I have satellite radio and listen to the Broadway show tune channel all the time,” he says. “I saw my first show on Broadway 25 or 30 years ago. I had season tickets to North Shore Music Theatre. If you come down to Treadwell’s on a Saturday or Sunday morning, that’s what you’ll hear playing in the background.”

Chocolate: He was a very good basketball official, working high school games for 27 years. “I remember my first state tournament game,” he says. “It was at Salem High and Larry McIntire (the assigner) was there watching. I was working with Nate Bryant. Right after the opening tip, I could feel something in my pant leg. It was a pair of Sharon’s nylons.” Gould corrected the laundry malfunction and the game went on without incident.

Strawberry: Before he was serving ice cream, Gould was engineering a career at GE in Lynn. He started in the apprentice program in 1979 and worked for GE for 21 years, along the way earning an engineering degree at Northeastern University. Gould worked in the manufacturing division and eventually moved into a management position.

Coffee: He is a longtime friend of Bill W. Gould says he was a “functioning alcoholic” before he quit drinking 29 years ago. “I went to work every day but I couldn’t stop drinking.” Gould quit cold-turkey, and he has helped countless others confront their addiction. After he stopped drinking, Gould started volunteering. Providing opportunities for special-needs children and adults is a particular passion for Gould, who started the Challenger Little League and has run similar programs in basketball and soccer.

Cookies & Cream: Gould is not a lifelong resident of Peabody. He was born in Lynn, but his family moved to the Tanner City when he was 1. Gould went to high school in Lynn, graduating from St. Mary’s in 1973, and he maintains many close friendships nurtured there. He has been part of the fabric of the Peabody community for more than three decades, and in 2011 decided to run for city council. He received 9,012 votes, a record for a Peabody council-at-large election. “I only wish I ran sooner,” Gould says.

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