Vincent R. Gonzales

Vincent Richard Gonzales of Green Valley, AZ formerly of Longmont died March 9, 2006 in Green Valley. He was 77.Vince was born on December 31, 1928 to Merce Gonzales and Placida Moya Montour Gonzales. He grew up in Longmont attended local schools and working with his father on a number of local farms. Due to his responsibilities to work, he was unable to graduate from Longmont High School. Mr. Gonzales was stationed at Ft. Lewis while in the U.S. Army & was a member of the Service Boxing Team, winning his weight class. After returning from the service he studied and secured his GED, something he was quite proud of. He attended the University of Colorado, in a further attempt to improve himself.Mr. Gonzales took a job with the State of Colorado, Department of Labor & Employment working, over 20 years to help impress upon the Hispanic Community the importance of education. He also served on the Office Equal Employment, to give these same individuals a fair right to work. He previously worked for a number of years for the Gates Rubber Company in their tire division. Mr. Gonzales married Guadalupe Montes in 1948 in Longmont. They were later divorced. He married Barbara Pope Farmer on May 18, 1973 in Longmont.Vince was a member of St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church, Green Valley. He had been a member of the Longmont Jaycees, Longmont Kiwanis and later the Longmont Lions Club and most recently volunteered for the Green Valley Sheriff Auxiliary. He was a member of the American Legion Post, Green Valley Post #66 and the B.P.O.E. of Green Valley. The Gonzales retired to Green Valley in 1992. He enjoyed attending church, his children and grandchildren, fishing, traveling, and watching the Denver Broncos and the New York Yankees. Preceding him in death are his parents, a son Merce Gonzales and a sister Mary Vela.Surviving are his wife of Green Valley, a daughter Kathy Gonzales of Erie, 6 sons, Richard, Stanley and Charles Gonzales all of Longmont, Raymond Gonzales of Chico, California, Robert Gonzales of Denver, and Leroy Gonzales of Adirondacks, New Jersey, step daughter Diana Dolfo of Vancouver, Canada, a step son Geoff Farmer of Bellingham, WA. two sisters Louise Cabrales of Longmont and Lucille Vela of Westminster, 14 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 22, 2006 at the Howe Mortuary Chapel, with The Reverend Max Bailey of St. Stephen?s Episcopal Church officiating. Interment will follow at the Longmont Mountain View Cemetery.