Marcos A. Gonzalez

When Marcus A.  Gonzalez walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity.  This was just one example of who Marcos was and how he impacted those around him.  Marcus was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people.  It was as if Marcus wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries.  Marcus was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.       Marcus was born on April 9, 1955 in New York City.  He was the son of Florentina and the late Marcos.  Marcus was raised in New York.  Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person.  While some who knew Marcus might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Marcus was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.       Marcus was raised with 4 siblings.  His siblings are Eddie, Yvette, Nancy and Frank.  Marcus was very accepting and supportive of his family.  He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members.  Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Marcus was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony.  These traits served Marcus well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.       Marcus was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences.  For Marcus, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life.   Marcus' skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up.  Marcus was blessed with 2: two daughters, who, as he always said, are the best thing that ever happened to him, Cynthia L. Certain and Debbie Gonzalez.       Marcus was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker.  His primary occupation was a New York City Cab Driver.  At one point, Marcus owned a restaurant, Margarita Cafe, in Atlanta, GA.  He was famous for a traditional Puerto Rican dish: Pastelles.  He was very proud of the fact that he was interviewed on the radio about that! Marcus had very creative and imaginative culinary skill.  His favorite meal is a steak dinner, how he loved his steak!    Because Marcus loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies.  His favorite pursuits were drawing, of which he had a natural talent of and sculpting with clay.  He was also a prankster.  He was the guy that was the life of the party, making friends very easily!  As many have said, his spirit was too big for his body.  Marcus had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes.  However, Marcus' ever-present concern for others always took precedent.       Marcus derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports.  His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities.  Marcus was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity.  Tops on his list were the Mets & Jets.  A die-hard Mets & Jets fan!  He really loved all types of sports.       Marcus was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith.  He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, which helped him during difficult times in his life.  He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest.  Marcus was a lover of animals and cherished pets.  As much as Marcus loved people, he loved dogs.       Marcus A. Gonzalez passed away on July 5, 2013 at Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY.  He is survived by his mother, Florentina, daughters Cynthia L.  Certain and Debbie Gonzalez, siblings, Eddie, Yvette, Nancy and Frank.  He is also survived by his dear  wife, Margaret "Peggy" Solazzo and Olga,  his former wife and mother of Cynthia & Debbie, of which he still maintained a close bond with.  Services were held at the Cusimano & Russo Funeral Home, 2005 W 6th Street, Brooklyn, NY.  Marcos was laid to rest in Pinelawn Memorial Park, Pinelawn, NY.       There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Marcus.  He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer.  He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around.  While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Marcus Gonzalez for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage.  Marcus was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.