John Gonzalez Obituary

John B. "Big John" Gonzalez was born June 16, 1920, in San Antonio, Texas, and had five brothers and two sisters. He served in the Army and traveled all over the world during his service. John was exceptionally proud of being a WW II veteran, serving in New Guinea and Australia, and of the fact that he and all of his five brothers served in the military during WW II and the Korean conflict.
He graduated from the Naval Academy as a mechanical engineer, and transferred to Holloman Air Force Base in 1959 to work at the High Speed Test Track until he retired in 1979.
John was a gunner in the Army artillery, but he was also the camp tailor, needed for everything from tailoring the general's uniforms to making USO costumes for Lana Turner. He was a renaissance man who also had talents doing everything from sharp shooting, artwork, tailoring, woodworking, metalworking and flower arrangements.
He was a loving husband to "Pam" Gonzalez for 60 years until her death in 2004. Beloved father, grandfather, uncle and brother, he is survived by four children, Margarit Prokopik, John F. Gonzalez and wife, Kathy, all from California, David A. Gonzalez and wife, Lisa, Bryant, and Cynthia Barberi, all from Alamogordo; two brothers and one sister; 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial services will be at St. Jude Mission, 1404 College Ave., Tuesday, July 22, at 11 a.m. Internment will follow in the St. Jude Columbarium.
The Gonzalez family has entrusted their loved one to the care of Alamogordo Funeral Home to direct the funeral arrangements. Cremation will take place locally at PCS. To sign the online guestbook, please visit
www.alamogordofuneralhome.org