Kenny Gonzales

Kenny D. Gonzales, aka KD, aka Gonzo, aka The Big Thirsty, aka Kenny G., aka Lone Wolf Gonzo, passed away in the early hours of April 16, 2023, due to complications from a heart attack. Kenny was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Margaret L. Chavez and William S. Gonzales. He was the youngest of six children. Those who knew Kenny (and everyone knew Kenny) will remember him as a larger-than-life super-hero of a human. With his signature cycling bibs, handlebar moustache, and curly hair, Kenny could usually be found riding around Santa Fe on one of his many bikes, sitting on a bar stool, or making the rounds to the local bike shops. Kenny loved (in no particular order) IPA, Santana, bikes, solar powered water pumps, his garden, and potatoes. Kenny hated bike thieves, bad drivers (we're looking at you, Texans), his feet, and when hikers left bags of dog poop on the trails.

We won't tell you Kenny's life story, because you wouldn't believe it. The man had at least nine lives, probably more. He managed to live both fiercely and delicately at the same time. Kenny rode his bike before his chemotherapy appointments, then rode again after his treatments, and usually stopped for a beer somewhere in between. But he also lovingly watered his cherished garden twice a day and spoke gently to his favorite plants. Kenny adored his family (Tassie, Kyle, Marcia, Candace, Ashlay, Jeremiah, Ethan, Abby, Hope, and Nathan). That love was rivaled only by that he felt for his wife Alison, who managed to put up with the fact that he loved Steely Dan for 22 years. Right up until the end, they were like a couple of kids together, dancing, loving, and carrying on. Theirs was one of the great romances.

Kenny loved a lot and grieved a lot. It was not unusual at all for him to tear up remembering friends and family lost along the way. And, while he liked to refer to himself as "the Lone Wolf," he was anything but, as evidenced by the dozens of people that came to his side when he was in the hospital. Kenny was, in a word, a legend. How do you write a memorial for someone you were pretty sure was invincible? Even though we knew in our heart of hearts that he probably wasn't going to survive this most recent heart attack, none of us would have been surprised if he had simply opened his eyes, gotten out of bed, and walked right out of the hospital. If Kenny was our Paul Bunyan, his beloved dog Zia was Babe the Blue Ox. There's no doubt that when Kenny crossed over Zia was there waiting for him, tail wagging, excited to show him some new singletrack. Vaya con Dios, amigo. We love you.