Amusement park historian Bob Goldsack has died
By amusementtoday | September 24, 2014
NASHUA, N.H. — Robert J. “Bob” Goldsack, 82, of Nashua, passed away Wednesday morning, August 13, 2014 at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua. Born and raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, he was the son of Robert and Marguerite Goldsack. He graduated from Plainfield High School where his fellow students elected him President of his 1949 Senior Class. A graduate of Seton Hall University, Mr. Goldsack started as a copy boy and worked his way up to advertising director of the Courier-News, a one time 60,000 circulation daily Gannett newspaper in Plainfield-Bridgewater, New Jersey. While employed at The Courier-News, Bob graduated from the Newspaper Advertising Executives Management course at Columbia University in New York City and served as Chairman of the New Jersey Press Association in 1971. He was also very active in the Retail Trades Division of the Plainfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the National Retailers Association and Plainfield Jaycees. From 1962 through 1969, he and a partner owned the New Jersey Red Oaks, a very successful on the field and at the ticket office, Semi Pro football team. After 25 years with the Courier-News, Bob joined the Corporate Staff of the Thomson Newspaper chain as a consultant to the many daily newspapers owned by that corporation throughout the United States. He and his family moved to Nashua in 1978.
Mr. Goldsack accepted a position as Regional Manager of Metro Creative Graphics, a company that furnishes art work and advertising ideas to newspapers throughout the country. His territory consisted of all six New England States, New York and New Jersey. During the Korean War, he served aboard aircraft carriers during a four year Navy hitch. He was awarded the United States Korean Service Medal, United Nations Korean Medal, American Defense Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the South Korean Government’s Commerative Medal. Following the Korean War, he was involved in supplying aircraft to the French in French Indo China, which later became Vietnam. In 1953, Bob married the love of his life, Joan Stevens, a classmate from grammar and high school, who passed away in January 2008, after 54 years of marriage. They were the parents of nine children. In Nashua, Mr. Goldsack has served as a substitute teacher in the middle and high schools for 16 years. He served several terms as a director of the Nashua Historical Society and as assistant treasurer of that organization. He was a parishioner of the Parish of the Resurrection for the past 36 years. A lifetime historian and writer documenting the outdoor entertainment business, his first book The World of Mirth was published in 1984. Fourteen more books followed that including Remembering Benson’s Wild Animal Farm; A History of New England Amusement Parks; Those Big and Colorful Railroad Carnivals; A History of the Clyde Beatty-Cole Brothers Circus; and Behind the Scenes at the Eastern States Exposition – The Big E. In 2010, he produced an updated book on Benson’s Wild Animal Farm for Arcadia Publishing. Mr. Goldsack also published his own quarterly magazine “Midway Journal Illustrated” from 1996 through 2000, and was then hired by the Circus Fans of America to serve as editor and publisher of The White Tops, the organization’s bimonthly magazine. He retired from that position in 2006. For five straight years he was commissioned to write a two page historical story for “Midway Marquee,” the Outdoor Amusement Business Association’s yearbook and was often hired to write articles for various publications. He also worked as a consultant for many show business projects and gave talks throughout the country, regarding the subjects of his books and the outdoor entertainment industry in general. He also presented several courses at Rivier College for the RISE Program. His memberships in amusement organizations included the Outdoor Amusement Business Association; Showmen’s Club of Gibsonton, Fla.; Showmen’s Club of Sarasota, FL; Circus Model Builders Society; Carnival Historical Society; Caroussel Historical Society; and was very active in raising funds to build and open the Showmen’s Museum in Gibsonton, Fla. He was also a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and the Korean War Veterans Association. An avid traveler, Bob and his wife toured Europe three times, steamboated several times on the Mississippi (1990) and Ohio (1993) Rivers and spent time in every state except North Dakota.
Robert was predeceased by his wife Joan and son Garrett.
