Michael "Mike" Gonzales

Michael “Mike” Gonzales, age 82, of Thousand Oaks, CA, and owner of AAA Landscape Co., passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 23, 2022. Michael was born October 1, 1939, in La Puente, CA.

Mike was like, "A raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought, cascading through a waterfall of creative alternatives." He was intelligent, creative, artistic, fun loving, and a fabulous cook and he loved to barbecue. He always shared his great sense of humor with everyone, even strangers, and was known for telling jokes and riddles, quotes from Mel Brooks movies, and for reciting complex tongue twisters both in English and Spanish. Mike was a veteran who served in the Army. He taught himself 7 different languages and loved surprising people by speaking to them in their native tongue. He loved propagating plants and was an expert landscaper and horticulturalist. Mike loved his family fiercely and was a wonderful father, father-figure, and hero to many. Mike will be missed dearly by his family, friends, and former clients.

Mike is preceded in rest by his parents, Blas and Rosa Gonsalez; his brother, Blas Gonzales, Jr.; his sister, Mary Fisher; his son, Baby Gonzales; and his grandson, Rich Karl Diederichs.

He is survived by his daughters, Michelle “Shelly” Gonzales, Teoni (Gonzales) Booker, Misty (Gonzales) Williams, and Stephani (Gonzales) Rose; his sister, Rosa Linda Sandoval; his grandchildren, Sarah (Moritz) Johnson, Michael Booker, Marilyn Booker, and Jenavieve Diederichs; great-grandchildren, Darius, Cadence, Alphius, Leo, and Alistair; and a host of other relatives and friends that mourn his passing.

Viewing will be held on Friday, February 11, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks-Griffin Mortuary & Crematory in the Chapel, with Funeral Services directly following at 12:00 p.m. Viewing, Funeral Services, and Burial will all occur at 5600 Lindero Canyon Road, Westlake Village, CA 91362. Celebration of Life to follow.

Celebration details: https://fb.me/e/1uZGg239e

Funeral Services will also be streamed via Facebook Live at https://www.facebook.com/PierceBrosValleyOaks

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/westlake-village-ca/michael-gonzales-10552616 for Michael’s family.

In honor of Michael’s love for gardens, and in lieu of flowers, his daughters are raising funds to create a Mike Gonzales Memorial Scholarship for local students who pursue college degrees in agriculture, horticulture, botany, animal husbandry, or environmental science. We are working with, and hope to offer the scholarship through, the Westlake Village Garden Club in the future.

Ways to contribute to the scholarship:

- Zelle: [email protected]

- Venmo: @mikegscholarship

- Facebook: https://bit.ly/MikeGScholarshipFB

- Go Fund Me: https://bit.ly/MikeGScholarship

Thank you for helping to keep Mike's memory alive.