Phillip Madrid Gonzalez

      To Phillip Madrid Gonzalez, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, he was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around him, he seemed to be eternally happy, and he willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life he touched. For Phillip, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, he could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Phillip really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.      Phillip was born on May 4, 1982 at Doctor's Hospital in Montclair, California. His parents were Phillip and Elizabeth Gonzalez. Phillip was raised in Ontario, California. Even as a child, Phillip had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around him. He was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. He couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. He was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, he succeeded in entertaining his entire family.      Always a good playmate, Phillip was easygoing and fun loving. He managed to lighten the mood wherever he was, even during family squabbles. He seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Phillip managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Phillip was raised with one sibling. He had one younger brother, Michael.      All of Phillip's playful good humor carried over into his childhood. He was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed him to be constantly on the go. As a result, Phillip experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited him very well. He took part in baseball, football, and boxing. He was in Little League. In his spare time he liked fishing and paintballing. Phillip's memorable achievements included being on the Honor Roll.      Ask anyone who knew him from school and they would tell you that Phillip was a class “cut-up.” He didn’t do it to be unkind or to garner all the attention. Rather, Phillip simply enjoyed others’ laughter and the sounds of his friends and acquaintances having a good time. It could be said that for Phillip, grades may not have been the most important thing to him, but he really did enjoy his school experience. Since experience was Phillip's best teacher. He enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Phillip graduated from Chino High School in 2000. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was P. E. And Art. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Miss Cross. He was a Varsity Letterman.      Phillip reveled in his college years, where his imagination could run free. He was viewed by many of his classmates as being a creative, artistic person. Phillip was usually found at the center of things, whether it was during class or in extracurricular activities. He was a jovial person who loved to share his passion for fun with others. But for Phillip, life was not a case of all play and no work. Phillip relished the task of putting his imagination to work in class. He was able to discover new and different ways of answering problems and creating unusual and different solutions. His favorite courses were Computer Science and Information Technology.      Phillip never actually encountered a stranger in his dealings with people. He was drawn to individuals and crowds, using his gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate his audience. This quality allowed Phillip to continually develop new relationships, ever widening his circle of friends. Phillip delighted in his role among all his acquaintances, because he viewed them all as potential spectators for his performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Phillip was always right at home putting on a show among his friends. Phillip utilized his interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of his best friends were Joel, Jason, and Ryan Huizenga. Later in life, he became friends with Cousin Jerry and Rita. Phillip loved sharing life and having his home filled with people he knew.      Phillip enjoyed his leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Phillip liked creating and making things. His favorite pursuits were beer pong, socializing with friends and family, partying and having fun. Phillip was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.      Phillip felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if he wasn’t the best, Phillip loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Phillip relished the opportunities where he could make an impact, and he would often push himself to play above his abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Phillip never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. In high school, Phillip played baseball. Phillip was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. He liked to watch all sports.      Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Phillip recognized that his faith was important to him throughout his life. He was a member of the Catholic Church.      Living life in the fast lane suited Phillip just fine. It is no surprise that he loved to travel and to visit new and different places. He was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. He was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas.      Phillip was a lover of animals and cherished his pets, enjoying them almost as much as he enjoyed being around other people. One of Phillip's favorites was his dog Max. His family was rounded out by his skull fighting fish.       He is survived by his parents and his younger brother, Michael. Phillip was laid to rest in Oakdale Memorial Park.      Phillip brought joy to all of those around him. He never had a mean bone in his body. He loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. He loved to share his energy, wit, and his zest for all of his activities with his friends and family. Phillip Madrid Gonzalez lived life to its fullest and made everyone around him happier just for knowing him. He will be remembered with a smile."It's better to live a lifetime on your own two feet than it is to live a lifetime on your knees."