Alfonso Gonzales

Alfonso Gonzales (85): August 8, 1930 – October 5, 2015. Alfonso passed away after a bout with cancer at his home in Bonita, CA. He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Dorothy Landazuri Gonzales 5 children, April, Joe, John, Mark and Julian; 12 grandchildren, Harmony, Shanti, Joseph, Andrew, Jessica, Alexandria, Matthew, Cynthia, Anthony, Julian Jr., Olivia and Jordyn; 3 great-grandchildren, Julia, Chase, Gabrielle and another one on the way. Preceded in death by his forever young daughter, Cindie; sisters Teresa and Emmalou; brothers Arturo and Joe: and many nieces and nephews.

Alfonso was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico on August 8, 1930, son of Julian and Veneranda (Griego) Gonzales. At 13 he quit school to care for his ill mother. After the passing of his mother, he shined shoes and did other odd jobs to earn money. He joined the service only to be sent home when they discovered he was only 16. At 17 he returned to enlist. He served in the United States Army from 1947 to 1951 reaching the rank of sergeant. In 1952 he moved to California to look for work and began a career in the Aero Space Industry working at General Dynamics – Convair Division, where he met his wife, Dorothy. The two married in December of 1954. Around 1958 Alfonso and Dorothy formed their own business, A&D Distributers, selling leather goods and jewelry on the side. In 1965, he took on a civil service role at North Island Naval Air Station where he held various roles including aircraft mechanic, foreman, department head, and aircraft specialist with the Fleet Readiness Action Group until he retired in 1992.

Alfonso was a driven man whose sole mission was to provide a better life for his family. This motivated him to complete his education. He received his high school diploma after attending night school. He would later take college courses and complete a certificate program at San Diego State. In partnership with his wife Dorothy, they bought a vacant lot in 1955 and built their first home in San Diego where they began to raise their six children. In 1968, Alfonso moved the family to Bonita and began to invest in real estate, acquiring several rental properties. He was a jack of all trades, skilled in carpentry, plumbing, and car mechanics. He enjoyed genealogy, researching family history and would regularly engage his children and grandchildren in conversations about their family roots, reminding them of who they are and where they came from.