John Richard Gonzales

1953 - 2021

GONZALES, John Richard, June 6, 1953 to October 31, 2021. It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected and untimely passing of John Richard Gonzales of Williamsburg, Va. John was born in Washington, D.C. in 1953, to Donald J. and Mary Tolhurst Gonzales, the youngest of four children. He graduated from Christchurch School with a soccer scholarship to Hope College in Holland, Mich. His academic career at Hope College was brief, losing its luster at the close of soccer season and the first semester. John took a job as a dishwasher at a small restaurant while he tried to puzzle out his future. When the cook failed to show up for his shift, John received his first promotion and was unwittingly launched on a path he blazed to an impressive career. Many of us have listened to John tell the tale of his culinary journey, engaging us with the colorful stories that peppered his life. Our brief re-telling here, lean and impoverished by the absence of his resonant voice and ebullient charm, only hints at the man that touched the lives of so many. John won an apprenticeship with the five-star Williamsburg Inn; graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York; Executive Chef of the Jockey Club restaurant at the Ritz Carlton - Fairfax Hotel; Executive Chef of the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.; co-owner and Executive Chef of the Deer Park Inn fine dining restaurant / bed and breakfast in Maryland; Executive Chef of the Colonial Williamsburg Taverns; Corporate Executive Chef of Virginia Foodservice Group; Corporate Executive Chef of Performance Foodservice Group; Food and Beverage Consultant; cookbook author; and co-owner and Executive Chef of A Chef's Kitchen, which became not only the perfect venue to showcase John's accumulated culinary knowledge and skills, but so much more as well. John was an excellent teacher. He created clearly written and delicious recipes - that worked! He was able to make food science and culinary technique understandable in a way that encouraged even novices to get in the kitchen and start cooking. He took the time to patiently answer every question directed to him until his answer was fully understood. John was passionate. He was fully invested in whatever he was doing and his passion was infectious. An enthusiastic amateur musician, John played the harmonica, guitar, drums and keyboards in a local band with cherished friends. John had a natural manner about him that drew everyone in and created real personal connections throughout his lifetime, making each of us feel important to him. That was the overarching characteristic that permeated every aspect of his life. He was a genuine force of nature, standing out amongst those we meet as one of the "Unforgettables." John was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Nancy Gonzales Turner; and his niece, Shelly Nicole Turner. John is survived by his three children, Isaac Mitchell (Johanna Champagne), William Hamilton, Annabelle Jean; grandson, Mads Joseph; his wife, Wanda Kaye; sisters, Cheryl Gonzales Yancey and Barbara Gonzales Burnett; nieces and nephews and a very wide circle of extended family, friends and associates. His premature death has shaken us to our core and he is deeply, achingly missed. Rest in peace, beloved Johnny, peerless in our esteem. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Interlochen Center for the Arts (please note "In memory of John R. Gonzales") at Interlochen Center for the Arts, P.O. Box 199, Interlochen, Mich. 49643 or (231) 276-7623 or Interlochen.org/support. For more information, please contact Kelly Morrow at philanthropy@interlochen.org. There will be a private graveside service for the immediate family.