Erik Gonzales

1998 - 2020

Erik Gonzales September 23, 1998 - June 12, 2020 Rancho Penasquitos Erik Gonzales, 21 years old, died on June 12, 2020. He was born in Dallas, Texas, on September 23, 1998, but had lived in Rancho Peasquitos since the age of two.Erik attended Sundance Elementary School and Mesa Verde Middle School. As a freshman and sophomore, he attended Westview High School where he played on the football and baseball teams. He graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 2017, continuing on to Miramar Community College.In the Rancho Peasquitos area, he played in the Pop Warner Football program and Little League Baseball. He loved playing video games, watching UFC events with his mom and going to Padre games with his grandfather.As well as playing sports, he followed and studied professional teams, especially basketball, baseball, football, and numerous UFC fighters. He could banter and discuss teams and players with the best of enthusiasts. Erik also had many other passions that he pursued while growing up: snowboarding, paintball, mixed martial arts, bodybuilding, and learning to play the guitar and saxophone.Erik was well-spoken and personable, loved animals, and dreamed of having a dog of his own. In recent years he worked at KFC and at Domino's Pizza in Rancho Peasquitos, and often talked about owning a Domino's franchise someday. Before his tragic death, he and his family were hopeful about his future. No one doubted his great potential to succeed in life. His recent struggles do not diminish his family's loving memories - his growing-up years in Rancho Peasquitos, family vacations and extended family holiday gatherings, sleepovers with cousins and friends, video game nights, beach days, his smile, and the joy and happiness he brought to their homes and their lives.Erik is survived by his great-grandmother, Genevieve Gonzales; mother, Karrie Gonzales, and her partner, Joe Palermo; grandfather, Rob Gonzales, and his wife, Sally; grandmother, Sandra Gonzales; grandmother, Joan Crouch; and father, Chris Greer.There will only be an open viewing for family and friends on Thursday, June 25, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Poway-Bernardo Mortuary, 13243 Poway Road, Poway, CA. Celebration of Life is being planned for late September 2020.In lieu of flowers, the family hopes you'll consider making a donation in Erik's name to a local animal shelter or Shatterproof.org.