Adrian Gonzalez

Adrian Gonzalez departed peacefully, at the age of 83, on August 28, 2023 in Kingwood, Texas. He now joins his beloved wife who preceded him to the afterlife. 

Adrian was born on May 27, 1940 to Julian Gonzalez and Dolores Canales in Salineno, Texas. From humble beginnings, at a very young age and throughout his teenage years, he worked in farm labor alongside his parents and siblings to put food on the table. Despite the family’s trials and tribulations growing up, the memories of which he nonetheless fondly recalled, between harvesting seasons, he went to school and was proud to have been the first in his family to graduate from Roma High School. At all other times, he would hang out with his brothers and friends dusting up the countryside in the family’s 1953 Chevy pickup nicknamed, “La Aguacata.” On September 2, 1966, in true fairytale love story fashion, he married his high school sweetheart, the late Bertha Sandoval Gonzalez, and they lived happily together for fifty-one years until she passed away on October 27, 2017. 

Throughout his working years, Adrian was dedicated to public service. From 1962-1966, he served his country honorably in the United States Air Force as an Air Policeman. In 1994, he was elected as Starr County Commissioner for Precinct 2 and served his community for four years. Prior to and after his service as County Commissioner, Adrian worked in supportive managerial roles for the Roma Independent School District retiring at the age of 65 after many years of dedicated service. 

Both Adrian and his late wife, Bertha, loved conjunto music and dancing cheek to cheek, never missing a conjunto music festival or a favorite band’s performance, and we are certain they are finally dancing cumbias and boleros together again in heaven. 

Adrian was personable, charismatic and unfiltered, always in a joyful mood with a great ability to make others smile, cracking jokes for any occasion and in any company, and his glee and sense of humor will truly be missed.  

Apart from his beloved wife, he is preceded by his aforementioned parents and his siblings, Manuela Luera, Cecilia Garcia, Pedro Gonzalez, Sylvia Longoria, Delma Gonzalez, Eva Ramos, and Julian Gonzalez Jr., whom he always cherished and missed dearly.

Adrian is survived by his children, Adrian Gonzalez, Jr. and wife, Rosario, Mario Gonzalez and wife, Mutsumi, and Lorena Ramos and husband, Ruben, his five grandchildren, Lei Gonzalez, Adriana Yadira Pena and husband, Jose, Leina Mabelle Gonzalez, Rudy Ramos, and Adrian Yamil Gonzalez, and his sole remaining sibling, Eloy Gonzalez, to whom he passed the mantle as the new patriarch of the Gonzalez family.

Thank you.