It is with a heavy heart that the Gonzalez family shares the news of their beloved patriarch, Henry Gonzalez Jr.’s passing. Born on December 9, 1933. in Corpus Christi, Texas, Henry was a true American who proudly served his country in the U.S. Army. He was a veteran of the Korean War and also served during the Vietnam era. Henry was stationed in Germany during the height of the Cold War when the Berlin border was closed by the Soviets and East Germans. After serving his country, he worked for the Veterans Administration, where he retired in 1987 as the supply chief at the VA Hospital in West Los Angeles.
Henry was also a 4th-degree Knight of Columbus at the young age of 22 and served as the Traffic and Safety Commissioner for the City of Lawndale, California, in 1983. Additionally, he worked as a Federal EEO Investigator, where he investigated formal complaints of discrimination and harassment and reported directly to federal headquarters in Washington, DC.
Henry passed away peacefully at the age of 90 on January 29, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, surrounded by his loved ones. He was a devoted father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend to many. Henry was the youngest of his siblings and was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Virginia Gonzalez, his brothers and sisters, his first son, Jesus Gonzalez, and his beloved wife, Bertha, with whom he was married for over fifty years.
Henry leaves behind a loving family, including his children, Henry III and Jodi Gonzalez USN retired, James Gonzalez, Daniel and Kalia Gonzalez, Victor Gonzalez and Christina, John and Emily Gonzalez, and his adored grandchildren, Henry IV. USMC and Chantal Gonzalez, Gabriel and Kurstin Gonzalez, James Gonzalez Jr., Isabella Gonzalez, Donovan Gonzalez, Zayna Gonzalez, and Marguerite Gonzalez, as well as his great-grandchildren, Henry Gonzalez V. and Tilly Gonzalez.
A ceremony honoring the life of Henry Gonzalez Jr. will be held on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. at the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery Chapel, located at 1900 Buchanan Blvd. in Boulder City, Nevada. The service will be followed by interment at 2:30 p.m. with full military honors. Henry Gonzalez III, James Gonzalez, Daniel Gonzalez, Victor Gonzalez, and John Gonzalez will serve as honorary pallbearers, paying their last respects to their beloved father an American hero, Patriot and protector of civil liberties, Henry Gonzalez Jr.
