 Martin Gonzales passed away on Friday, July 27, 2012, at his home in Rio Linda, California, due to complications from a stroke. He was 91 years old. Martin was born on April 15, 1921, in Houston, Texas. He was the 5th child of Epimenio and Florence Gonzales (nee Guillen). Martin grew up in Houston and moved to California after WWII. He lived in the Bay Area until 1956 and then relocated with his family to Orangevale. He moved to Rio Linda in 1998 to spend the remainder of his days living close to his son. Martin met the love of his life, Estella Theresa Martinez, in 1942. Martin and Estella were married in 1944 and spent 54 wonderful years together raising their family and enjoying their grandchildren before Estella succumbed to cancer in 1996. Martin was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. His life was dedicated to his family. He was the "rock" of the family - solid and unwavering. He was also a man of principle and always stood for what he believed. With his mischievous and jovial personality he made friends easily. He loved dancing, his garden, being outdoors, and was always up for a good time with family and friends. He began working at age 6 to help support his family and was a hard worker throughout his life. At age 22, Martin joined the Army Air Force and proudly served his nation as a Gunner/Engineer on a B24 Liberator Bomber during WWII. After the war he worked as an airplane mechanic for United Airlines. Martin then began a career with Aerojet and retired after 27 years of dedicated service. During that time Martin was prominent in the Union, he retired as President of the Union in 1983. Martin is survived by four of his five children: Gloria Stephanie Gonzales Hall (and husband Tom); Martin Stephen Gonzales (and wife Debra); Lisa Gonzales Smet (and husband David); Elida Anne Gonzales; Melanie Marrianna Jennings (deceased), twelve grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. A military service will be held at Noon on Friday August 10, 2012, at Saint Mary's Cemetery, 65th Street & 21st Avenue, Sacramento, California. A memorial mass will follow at 2:00 p.m. at St. John's Catholic Church, 307 Montrose Drive, Folsom, California. A celebration of life will begin at 4:00 p.m. at the International Association of Machinist Union Hall, 2749 Sunrise Boulevard (turn onto Citrus from Sunrise Boulevard - it is behind Enterprise Rental Car), Rancho Cordova, California. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Kaiser Hospice or the
.
![]() |
|
Bookmark this memorial on Facebook with the My Memorials™ application. My Memorials™ helps you honor departed family members, friends, and even favorite celebrities – all on your Facebook page.
|
Thank you. You have now memorialized on Facebook.
 |
The My Memorials Facebook app allows you to:
- Connect with memorials that are important to you.
- Get updates on your memorials in your Facebook News Feed.
- Share your memories with your Facebook friends.
|
|
|
|
You are searching
|
 |
|
|
Please consider a donation, as requested by the family.
|
|
