John Joseph Gonzalez

He was born one of four sons to Victor Manuel Gonzalez and Maria Obdulia Gonzalez, the second oldest in a household that valued discipline, education, and resilience. He was preceded in death by his parents and by his older brother, Victor Manuel Gonzalez Jr, and his favorite niece, Andrea Gonzalez.

While attending Central Catholic Marianist High Schol from 1960 to 1964, he rose to Brigade Commander, a role that foreshadowed the life of leadership that followed. From there, he earned an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1968 - an achievement he wore with pride, humility, and exacting standards for everyone else.

He continued his military career with characteristic intensity. He became Airborne qualified at Fort Benning, Georgia, and proudly completed Ranger training - making certain everyone knew he was a "winter" Ranger, a distinction he felt mattered. And in his case, it did.

He was then deployed to Vietnam, where he served as a young artillery commander at a remote fire support base known as LZ Siberia - so named for its isolation, barbed wire perimeter, and the dense, impenetrable jungle that surrounded it. Though war would leave its marks later in life, he spoke often and fondly of the people he served with there, finding moments of camaraderie and meaning even in the harshest of conditions.

While serving, he attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, becoming a pediatrician before later transitioning to dermatology - "to get my nights and weekends back," as he liked to say. He ultimately retired from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service with the rank of Colonel, having been stationed at Wiesbaden, Germany, Fort Sam Houston, Fort Huachuca, and Fort Benning.

Retirement from the military did not mean slowing down. He joined Kelsey-Seybold Clinics in Houston before returning to his hometown of San Antonio - a city that has a way of calling back its best. There, he opened a private dermatology practice that became one of the most successful and beloved in the city. He thrived in medicine, often seeing up to 60 patients a day, never seeming to tire, and frequently refusing payment - especially if the patient was a friend, family member, or someone in need.

His faith and charity were central to his life. He volunteered at St. Vincent De Paul - La Mision for 20+ years, with Doctors Without Borders, and later worked with the VA caring for young soldiers, and used what little free time he had to help others whenever and wherever he could.

Outside of work, he was endlessly curious and skillful. He loved the outdoors. He carved wood, baked cookies for his grandchildren, ran, skied, cycled, hiked, scuba-dived, played racquetball and soccer, and coached his sons' teams. He had a poet's heart and a master's hands - fluent in Shakespeare, Latin, Physics, and nearly any subject that crossed his path. He was, in every sense, a Renaissance man.

He shared a loving life with his wife, Clara Gonzalez, whose children he welcomed fully and immediately as his own, expanding the family he cherished.

He is survived by his wife, Clara Gonzalez; his sons from a previous marriage, John Joseph Gonzalez. Jr., a physician in San Antonio, and Nicholas Edward Gonzalez, an actor in Los Angeles; his grandchildren, Sofia and Tristan Gonzalez, Ever Lee Wilde and Leo Camino Gonzalez; his stepson, Daniel Perez; his stepdaughter, Chastity Rodriguez; his step-grandchildren, Victoria, Mia, Aviana, and "Bubbles"; and his brothers, George Gonzalez and Richard Gonzalez.

He was tough, brilliant, demanding, generous, funny in a dry and exacting way, and deeply devoted to the people he loved. He will be greatly missed - and impossible to replace.

Services will take place in San Antonio at Porter Loring Mortuary, located at 1101 McCullough Ave, 78212 on January 19, 2026. The visitation will be from 5pm-7pm with vigil and rosary to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to honor his memory to make a memorial contribution to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Southwest Texas.