Pedro Gonzalez Lebron

Pedro Gonzalez Lebron, 84, of Hartford, beloved husband for 57 years of Elsa Gonzalez, passed away peacefully at home on Friday, July 11, 2025 with his loving family by his side. Born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico on May 19, 1941, he was the son of the late Angel and Vincenta Gonzalez. He graduated from high school in San Lorenzo in 1963. Pedro served proudly in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from 1964-1966. He and Elsa married on December 23, 1967 at St. Peter’s Church in Hartford. After being discharged from the Army, he served as a police officer in San Lorenzo until 1972, when he and Elsa relocated to Connecticut. From 1972-2005, Pedro worked as a machine operator for Jacob’s Manufacturing Company in Bloomfield.

A loving husband, father and grandfather, Pedro will be forever missed by his devoted wife Elsa; daughter, Ana Gonzalez Hoskie and husband Cleo Hoskie and their children Jordan, Xavier, Gabriel and Xiana of Windsor, daughter, Veronica Gonzalez, former son-in-law, John Vargas and their daughter Kyra of Bristol, daughter, Nazareth Gonzalez of Hartford and two sons, Anthony and Jesus Gonzalez, both of Hartford. Pedro was predeceased by all 10 of his siblings.

Pedro was an honorable, selfless, caring, and loving man. He always put everyone and their needs before his. Whether you were family, a friend or a stranger, he always lent a helping hand and expected nothing in return. His kindness and generosity touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.

He loved to cook.
Anyone who came to visit—family, friends, even strangers he always made sure they ate. He had a way of making people feel welcome, often saying, "Tienes hambre?" followed quickly by, "Aquí tengo algo pa' darte." And there was no saying "no, thank you." He simply wouldn’t feel right until you'd had something to eat.

That spirit of generosity never left him. Even in his final years, while battling dementia, he still worried about whether his family had eaten. Making sure others were fed was his way of showing love, a quiet but powerful act of care that defined who he was.

Pedro was a simple man. He loved his quality time with his family and grandchildren. He loved taking us out on car rides, getting ice cream before going to the park, or just sitting down drinking coffee and talking about anything and everything. He loved watching his favorite cartoons, such as Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny. He enjoyed his western movies and enjoyed watching his favorite Spanish comedies, El Chavo del 8 or Chespirito.

He loved all of his grandchildren and loved to spoil them. He always looked forward to seeing them and always had candy, snacks or their favorite food available to them.

Pedro enjoyed playing dominoes, both as a sport and as a pastime. He participated and won many tournaments in the 80s.

He was an avid N.Y Yankees fan and he never missed a game, whether it was hearing it on the AM station in the car or watching it on TV.

Pedro loved animals. Growing up, he would feed the pigeons every day. From the minute he opened the door to the apartment the pigeons would start circling around outside waiting for him to come out to be fed. You could say he was one with the pigeons. He also loved his dogs, Chyna and Kenny. He loved taking them out for walks, playing with them and cooking for them.

After taking care of everyone, he loved to spoil himself. He loved playing his daily numbers, lotto and scratch off tickets.

Although Pedro is now free from pain and suffering, he left this world with love in his eyes and care in his heart.

His family would like to extend a heartwarming thank you to the VA Hospital and Hartford Healthcare for the thoughtful service and tender care. We would also want to thank his family and friends for all of their love and support.

Papi, the beautiful memories you created with everyone you crossed paths with will leave an everlasting imprint in our hearts. Although our hearts are very heavy and we are missing you immensely, they are filled with joy because God allowed us to have you in our lives.

Descanse en paz, Papi. Espero que consiguiste el rio que andabas buscando.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, July 23 at 10 a.m. at St. Augustine Church, 10 Campfield Avenue, Hartford. Everyone is asked to please go directly to the church. Burial with military honors will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery, Hartford. Family and friends may call on Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield.