Theresa F. Gonzalez

Theresa Franzone Gonzalez, known as “Tessie” and to her immediate family as “Tess”, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 13, 2013 at the age of 85 of congestive heart failure at the home of her son Peter Gonzalez III and his family in Roswell, Georgia.

Tessie was born in Kenner, Louisiana as the youngest child of Frank Vincent Franzone and Margaret Carona Franzone. Her older siblings were the late Marie Franzone Bennett, Vera Franzone Sentilles, and Vincent Frank Franzone. The late Myrtis Dugard also cared for Tessie in her childhood. As a young woman, Tessie loved clothes, dancing, riding in her convertible “Lambie”, and her late cocker spaniel Gypsy. Tessie was the ultimate “girlie girl”. Tessie graduated from St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans. After graduation, she taught high school and coached volleyball at East Jefferson High School and then at Riverdale High School in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana until she retired after 38 years. Her volleyball coaching career included numerous appearances in the LHSAA playoffs and winning the LHSAA State Championship in 1974. The highlight of her teaching career, however, was how much she enjoyed working with her students. Tessie made a positive difference in the lives of many generations of young women in Jefferson Parish during the course of her career.

Tessie married in 1958 and later divorced from the late Peter Gonzalez II with whom she had her two beloved children Lisa Gonzalez and Peter Gonzalez III. Her life goal was to be a mother and she fulfilled her goal as mother to Lisa and Pete. She lived in Metairie, Louisiana for over 40 years in the home her brother the late Vincent Franzone built for her and her family. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Metairie, Louisiana. She moved to Georgia in 2000 to be near her son Pete and his family. She was a lifelong New Orleans Saints fan and also rooted for the Atlanta Braves after her move to Georgia.

She is survived by her daughter Lisa Gonzalez of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and her son Peter Gonzalez III of Roswell, Georgia, Pete’s wife Lauren Zeller Gonzalez, their children Pierce, Lia, and Reid. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Gloria Centanni Franzone, widow of the late Vincent Franzone, niece Christine Franzone Proudfoot, niece Yolanda Franzone, nephew Frank Franzone, cousin Vera Ellen Carona Marse, niece Jane Sentilles Greig, nephew Irwin Sentilles III, and niece Marilyn Bennett Bianca.

Services to celebrate and commemorate Tessie’s life will be held on Monday, December 23 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Kenner, Louisiana, with visitation at the church from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by Mass from 12:00-12:45 p.m., and interment immediately after Mass at Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.roswellfuneralhome.com. For information, please contact Tessie’s daughter Lisa Gonzalez at [email protected].

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to St. Jude’s Hospital at www.stjude.org or by mail to St. Jude’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Tessie prayed often to St. Jude whom she called the Saint of the “Impossible” and donated to St. Jude’s Hospital during her lifetime.