Arthur Charles Gonzalez Sr.

Arthur Charles Gonzalez, Sr. passed away on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas. He was 95. Born on August 3, 1928, in Palmerton, PA to Concepción and Carlos Gonzalez, Arthur was the eldest of their three sons and one daughter, joining his two older half-sisters. Though a polio epidemic canceled his commencement ceremony, Arthur graduated from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio in 1946. Soon after graduating he entered the US Navy reserves and served for 2 years. During this time, he began his career in the Civil Service in 1947. Over his career span of 43 years, he went from airplane service mechanic to Logistic Management Project manager on the largest aircraft in the world at the time, the Galaxy C5A. His career path required several extended temporary assignments such as to South Korea, Viet Nam and Madrid, Spain.

He married Maria de Jesus "Susie" Villarreal on July 30, 1950, and together they raised five children: Arthur Jr. (A.C.), Michael, James, Elizabeth, and Kathryn. As parents, the home they created on Cambray was always open to friends, family, and neighbors, often becoming the regular hangout or designated event space, the envy of the neighborhood. They were supportive in having their children engage in all types of sporting activities, as well as social events with the neighbor kid. Soon after moving into their Cambray house, Arthur installed a basketball hoop, much to the delight of both his and the neighborhood kids.

If Arthur wasn’t engaged in coaching baseball and basketball teams, he was at many of his children’s games providing encouraging support. He was not only an enthusiast and coach; Arthur could also be found playing racquetball and basketball.

His interest in athletic activities extended into his later years by attending professional sporting events with family members. An avid sports fan, he enjoyed Spurs and Cowboys games and could be counted on to cheer – with equal enthusiasm - for his kids and grandkids at various sporting events, dance recitals, and other noteworthy events.

In addition to sports, Arthur’s other favorite past times included dancing and reading. While being very active physically, he kept his mind alert by reading from a wide variety of sources. One of his favorites was the Reader’s Digest. So much so that the kids would often groan at his oft heard, “well, according to the Digest” to make his point. His readings included history, sports, technology, travel and current events. He and Mom made sure the kids would have the opportunity to learn about the world by making a pricey investment in a quality set of Encyclopedias.

Arthur loved to dance, and any event that hosted an opportunity to dance would find him leading Susie around the floor. Big band music often played in the house, and furniture would be rearranged for impromptu dancing lessons with the kids or grandkids. He loved to watch movies, often sneaking out of the house to catch a flick at the nearby movie theater. To get the movie experience at home, Arthur’s movie production skills evolved from inserting the TV through a bedroom window and all the family watching it from the backyard, to proudly setting up a surround sound system in the living room, often overwhelming the entire house.

Arthur tended to jingle a bit when he walked due to the excessive number of coins he kept in his pockets. As such, he could always be counted on to have exact change, change a dollar for coins, or to indulge the kids with a treat . . . so long as they counted to ensure he “had enough”. The coins were often a prop for his magic tricks, making them appear out of thin air, or coming out of one of the kids’ ears. He could also be counted on to fix anything that was broken: washers, dryers, cars, etc. He would hold up his two hands and say, “this thing was put together by a guy who had two hands just like these” and then proceed to tackle the problem. He never mentioned though that it was his experience, knowledge, and insightful problem-solving skill that made it possible. While he was naturally mechanically inclined, throughout his professional life he continued his education, obtaining certifications to advance and hone his skills.

Arthur always made sure he passed on his knowledge and even taught his daughters how to do basic maintenance on their cars and taught the grandkids how to build the birdhouses that would later hang in their yards. Though he didn’t attend college, he worked up to three jobs to help support Susie and the children’s continuing education. He was proud to see everyone’s degrees hanging on the walls. He referred to the “middle bedroom” in the Cambray home where those degrees were hung as his “treasure chest”. He felt enormous pride in his family’s accomplishments.

Arthur and Susie enjoyed traveling and having new experiences. Susie and the kids would often visit Arthur on his TDYs (Temporary Duty assignments) and in the 80’s, Arthur and Susie spent two years living abroad in Spain. In the 90’s they traveled Europe to visit historically significant WWII sites, as Arthur had a special interest in WWII history. Disappointingly, we don’t have nearly as many pictures of Arthur commemorating these different memories, but that’s because he was the one behind the camera or camcorder ensuring all the moments, both special and mundane, were captured. Susie would organize his pictures into albums or scrapbooks, but Arthur would be happy to sit with you and tell you the stories about all the people or places pictured.

Arthur had a sweet tooth to rival Willy Wonka’s and was known to add something spicy to nearly every dish he ate. He was hopeless in the kitchen but was happy to do last-minute grocery runs for the missing ingredients or to stock up on a treat he knew you liked if you were visiting.

Arthur Charles Gonzalez's life was characterized by his dedication to his work, his commitment to his family and his service to his country. He is remembered fondly and already missed dearly.

Arthur is survived by his children and their spouses, A.C and Melinda, Mike and Jeanine, Jimmy and Rose Ena, Liz and Ed, and Kathy and Dan. He is also survived by his 12 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, his brothers and their wives, Charles Edward and Yolanda, Richard William and Betty, his sisters Bertha Rivas and Mary Lou LaGarde, and a multitude of cousins and extended family. He was preceded in death by his loving wife and dance partner of over 70 years, Maria de Jesus “Susie” Gonzalez.