Former commissioner Gonzales passes at 77

By DAVID LOPEZ
Special to the NEWS

San Benito is mourning the loss of longtime community champion and former city commissioner Tony Gonzales who passed away this week.

Born and raised in San Benito, Gonzales grew up in La Palma with the likes of Rey Avila; and, classically, played football for the Mighty Greyhounds before duty called.

Born on January 19, 1945, Gonzales was one of nine children. He attended Fred Booth Elementary and graduated from San Benito High in 1964, immediately joining the U.S. Army, and serving until 1967. During his military service, he was stationed in Germany for two years and was called to fight in Vietnam. He spent his last year stationed in California.

Following his military service, Gonzales wasted no time in enlisting as a volunteer firefighter. He trained and served as a San Benito Police Officer from 1970 to 1979, when he began his 30-year career with the U.S. Postal Service, after which he retired.

For 10 years, Gonzales continued his public service as Commissioner Mayor Pro Tem. Even during his retirement, Gonzales could not stay away from his sense of duty, as he worked as Sergeant Security Guard at Valley Baptist.

He and his wife, Irma Gonzales, had three children, Cynthia, Jose Antonio, Jr., and Deborah. Together they have ten grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

In his spare time, Gonzales enjoyed fishing and hunting, watching football, taking his wife shopping, and spending time with his family. He owned a boat for a large part of his life but was unable to use it in his later years because of his diabetes, as he was on dialysis two years prior to his death.

After suffering from a car accident in mid-July and remaining hospitalized until he coded on August 4th, Gonzales was sent home on August 22 and passed away a week later.

Kaila Marie Coronado, Gonzales’s granddaughter, said her favorite quality of her grandpa was his loving nature.

“He was very loving to me, my grandma, my siblings, my cousins…to everybody in our family,” she said.

Want the story in its entirety? Pick up a copy of the San Benito News, or subscribe to our e-Edition by clicking HERE!