MARGARITO GONZALES
June 10, 1945 - Oct. 22, 2021
Margarito M ax P. Gonzales, 7 6, p assed away in his San Jose home on Oct 22, 2021 surrounded by h is immediate family.
Born in the Imperial County on June 10, 1945, Max was the youngest son of Juan and Clotilde Gonzalez. After g raduating from Brawley Union High School in 1964, Max was enlisted in the U.S. Army from 1965-1967. Stationed at t he O akland Army Base, he was in the 66th M ilitary P olice Company. Though he returned h ome and obtained o ne A . A. degree from Imperial Valley College, he ultimately found his way back u p to t he Bay A rea and earned a B.A. Degree in Sociology from San Jose State University in 1974. In l ater years, Max also earned a teaching credential along with a A.S. Degree from San Jose City College.
From 1973 to 1993, Max was a Deputy Sheriff for Santa Clara County; he worked at Elmwood Jail, in Patrol, in the Court Liaison unit, and as Court Security. During t hese years, h e often coached his kids l ittle league o r soccer teams. After retiring from the Sheriffs Department, he held various occupations further serving the community which included t eaching (Adult Education, t he a rt o f drawing, d river's training) a nd b ecoming the Head of Safety and Security a t the San Jose J ob Corps, where he worked with u nder-privileged youth.
On February 14, 1976, he married Geraldine Gilroy of Campbell, CA and together they raised 4 children: Sonia, Philip, Olivia, and Gilbert. Max always made sure his family was safe a nd p rovided for; there is no doubt he cared deeply for them as they did for him.
He valued family, intelligence, p hysical fitness, creativity a nd i ntegrity. He had a playful, clever humor that his family and friends will greatly miss. An artist: he drew, painted, and sculpted. He was an avid reader and a man of many interests but especially l oved t he movies, world history, and many genres of music. An adventurous person, h e and his wife, along with h is f amily, travelled the U.S., Mexico, Europe, and all of the great state of California. Max especially e njoyed taking t he b ackroads o f the Bay Area; he was always one to take the unbeaten path.
He is survived by his siblings and in-laws, most of Brawley, CA: Tomasa (Salvador) Medina of San Diego, C ristobal ( Beatrice) Gonzales, Juan (Irene) Gonzales, (Gloria) Gonzales, Gregorio (Julia) Gonzales, Angelita ( Fred) Guzman o f Alta L oma, Josephina Guillen (Ernest Garcia), and Gloria ( Jerry) Santillan; a long w ith h is 30 nieces and nephews and their families. Max was preceded in death by his brother Isaac in infancy, his father in 1977, h is brother Jose in 2005, his mother in 2008, and his sister N iebes Fernandez in 2012.
Visitation for family and friends will t ake place on Friday, November 19th from 6 to 9pm at Frye Chapel and Mortuary in B rawley. Rosary will be recited at 7pm. A mass is scheduled for Saturday, November 20th at Sacred H eart C atholic
Visitation for family and friends will t ake place on Friday, November 19th from 6 to 9pm at Frye Chapel and Mortuary in B rawley. Rosary will be recited at 7pm. A mass is scheduled for Saturday, November 20th at Sacred H eart C atholic Church b eginning a t 9:30am. After mass, he will b e laid to rest at Riverview Cemetery with military h onors. M ax's family would l ike to ask attendees to c ontinue wearing masks at his services.