Antonio "Tony" Gonzalez Jr.

Former Kleberg County Sheriff Tony Gonzalez was summoned by the Lord to be with Him on January 6th, 2024, at the age of 78. He was born in Kingsville, Texas on March 1st, 1945, to Antonio V. Gonzalez, Sr., and Sensoria Vela Gonzalez.
Participating in football, basketball, track, and field in his senior year at Henrietta M. King High School, Tony placed highly in pole vault competition at the state meet in 1963. He was awarded a scholarship in football from Henderson County Junior College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree with Master's Degree credits from Corpus Christi State University.
The Chief of Police of Kingsville, Fred Toler, appointed Tony to the Kingsville Department as a member of the police department as an officer. Having graduated from the Rio Grande Police Academy, Tony earned the highest certification for law enforcement and major certification for trainers and instructors from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. Rising through the ranks, he was promoted to lieutenant in the Kingsville Police Department.
After serving in the police department, Tony began working for the Missouri Pacific Railroad legal department where he served for four years. With his vast experience, he was hired by the Texas A&I University Campus Police Department where he ended a twenty-one-year career as the University's Chief of Police. During his tenure as Chief of Police, Tony served as a law enforcement instructor at the Texas Southwest College for several years.
In 1995, when former Sheriff of Kleberg County, Adan Munoz left office to work in the office of the Governor of Texas, Tony ran for the office of Sheriff in 1996 and was elected where he served for two, four-year terms. While Sheriff Adan Munoz was in office, a new jail was constructed and as the new Sheriff, Tony initiated new procedures and within a year in office, the jail was fully occupied and served as a positive for the citizens of Kleberg County.
Within these new modern approaches to incarceration, Sheriff Gonzalez initiated a youth scholarship program at Texas A&M Kingsville with 250,000 dollars which had been garnered from drug law violation penalties which would help at-risk youth.
Coordinating with federal agencies, Sheriff Gonzalez began to house, "off-site" federal inmates which brought revenue to Kleberg County in the amount of over a million dollars a year.
After leaving elected office, Tony became Principal/CEO of the G.E. Bass Consulting Corporation which served to coordinate the creation of two detention facilities in Texas and assisting in the establishment of a new facility for inmates of Nueces County.
In 2013, Tony began working with his family and initiated the process that created the Can-Go Insurance Agency.
Tony Gonzalez will always be recognized as a true icon of Texas. Both for his values of family, community, and his unending commitment to his country. These efforts were recognized throughout his life as attested by his award in 1991 as the Javelina Booster of the Year, his recognition as Outstanding Young Men of America in 1988.
Previously, Tony was designated as a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus in 1985 and in 2002 Tony made the National Register "Who's Who" of Executive and Professionals.
An outstanding athlete throughout his life and receiving college scholarships, Tony enjoys fishing, hunting, and golf. Age has never diminished his sense of community and South Texas and his life will serve as an example of what altruistic citizenship should be.
Antonio Gonzalez' death is preceded by that of his parents, Antonio Gonzalez, Sr. and Sensoria V. Gonzalez, his brothers, Enrique, Gonzalo, Heriberto and sister, Sarita G. Sandoval.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou Canales Gonzalez of 42 years of marriage, son Omar Antonio Gonzalez (Audrianna) of Rockport, TX, and Mark Anthony Rankin.
Visitation will be held on Friday, January 26, 2024 beginning at 8:00 a.m., with a Holy Rosary to be recited at 10:00 a.m. A Funeral Mass will follow at 12:00 p.m. at St. Martin Catholic Church with Father Alfredo Villarreal officiating.Burial services will be private.
Services are entrusted to Ramirez-Salinas Funeral Home.