LOUIS DANIEL GONZALES

Louis Daniel Gonzales, known to many as Pathfinder, passed away after a brief battle with throat cancer on August 13, 2021 at the VA Hospital in Albuquerque.

He was born in Orange, California on August 10, 1949 and was raised by an aunt and uncle in Buena Park and on the San Pascual Band of Indians Reservation. Growing up, he loved surfing, baseball, and working at Knott’s Berry Farm. As a young 20 to 22 year old, he distinguished himself as part of the 101st Airborne in Vietnam until he sustained a shrapnel injury. After he was released from the military field hospital in Ankhe, he joined the 322nd M.P. to guard military armaments in Henoko, Okinawa. Upon his discharge, he came to Santa Fe to visit an Army buddy and decided to stay. He began his New Mexico adventure by working at the Ski Basin. He later went to work at the Pink Adobe, where he helped initiate the Dragon Room. In 1981, he was blessed with a beautiful son and a beautiful daughter. He continued working in the hospitality and construction industries for many years, but drawing and writing were his greatest loves.

A very brief 21-gun salute and flag ceremony will be held at the Santa Fe National Cemetery on September 29, 2021 at 12:45 p.m. The VA requests that attendees of the military ceremony arrive 15 minutes early. Eulogies and anecdotes about the life of Louis Gonzales, Pathfinder, will be shared at Marquez Deli, located at 513C Camino de los Marquez, immediately after the military ceremony.