Alejandro Gonzales
Obituary
Alejandro Ramón González, known as “Alex” by most people throughout his life, was born on June 17, 1932, in Fort Stockton, Texas, the son of Manuel R. “M.R.” González, Sr., and Carmen Gutiérrez González. As a child he attended the religious school run by nuns at St. Joseph’s Church, and later attended Butz School, graduating in 1951 from Fort Stockton High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served as petty officer on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which sailed on the Mediterranean Sea. During that time, he served as a translator in Spain and Italy as assistant to the Catholic priest on the ship. Throughout his life, he maintained a deep respect for his faith in the Roman Catholic Church. After serving in the Navy, he briefly attended Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island, but returned to Texas to enroll at Sul Ross State College in Alpine. He earned both Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees by 1959. He was enamored by the study of history and political science and vowed that one day he would study law and become a judge, with a burning desire to fight for justice for the underrepresented.
After college, he was elected Justice of the Peace in Fort Stockton and served actively in the G.I. Forum and L.U.L.A.C., as a civil rights advocate, while also working on various campaigns for the Democratic Party, including the 1960 campaign of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. In 1965, he was asked to join the staff of Congressman Richard C. White of El Paso, to serve as a legislative aide in the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. While in Washington, he began law school at American University, taking a leave of absence in 1967 to accept an appointment as a Field Administrator with the Peace Corps, in Lima, Peru. In 1969, he returned to the U.S., and transferred to the University of Texas Law School in Austin, where he worked for the Democratic Party until earning his J.D. in 1971.
He returned to Fort Stockton to set up a private legal practice, where he practiced family, immigration, and civil law, and often worked as a criminal defense attorney. He served the City of Fort Stockton as City Attorney and continued his work with the Democratic Party throughout the 1970s until 1984, when he attained his lifelong goal, being appointed Judge of the 83rd Judicial District of Texas by Governor Mark White. He was re-elected to continue serving as District Judge until he retired in 1999.The Alex R. González Pecos County Judicial Building in Fort Stockton bears his name, in recognition of his many years of service to the community. While retired, he remained active with the Texas Center for the Judiciary until 2017.
Alex R. González is survived by his brothers Manuel R.”M.R.” González, Jr., Abelardo González, and Oscar González, his four children, Amira “Christy” de la Garza, Linda Howard-Burch, Alex John (Carol) González, and Arthur R.(Denisse) González, as well as his former wife, Senaida Ureta González and their nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Private services will be held in order to abide by the current social distancing guidelines suggested for the public. A memorial service will be held at a later date for friends, family, and community members to offer their condolences and celebrate the impact of his life.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Alexander Ramon Gonzalez, please visit our floral store.
Alejandro Ramón González, known as “Alex” by most people throughout his life, was born on June 17, 1932, in Fort Stockton, Texas, the son of Manuel R. “M.R.” González, Sr., and Carmen Gutiérrez González. As a child he attended the religious school run by nuns at St. Joseph’s Church, and later attended Butz School, graduating in 1951 from Fort Stockton High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served as petty officer on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, which sailed on the Mediterranean Sea. During that time, he served as a translator in Spain and Italy as assistant to the Catholic priest on the ship. Throughout his life, he maintained a deep respect for his faith in the Roman Catholic Church. After serving in the Navy, he briefly attended Officer Candidate School in Rhode Island, but returned to Texas to enroll at Sul Ross State College in Alpine. He earned both Bachelor of Science and Masters degrees by 1959. He was enamored by the study of history and political science and vowed that one day he would study law and become a judge, with a burning desire to fight for justice for the underrepresented.
After college, he was elected Justice of the Peace in Fort Stockton and served actively in the G.I. Forum and L.U.L.A.C., as a civil rights advocate, while also working on various campaigns for the Democratic Party, including the 1960 campaign of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson. In 1965, he was asked to join the staff of Congressman Richard C. White of El Paso, to serve as a legislative aide in the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. While in Washington, he began law school at American University, taking a leave of absence in 1967 to accept an appointment as a Field Administrator with the Peace Corps, in Lima, Peru. In 1969, he returned to the U.S., and transferred to the University of Texas Law School in Austin, where he worked for the Democratic Party until earning his J.D. in 1971.
He returned to Fort Stockton to set up a private legal practice, where he practiced family, immigration, and civil law, and often worked as a criminal defense attorney. He served the City of Fort Stockton as City Attorney and continued his work with the Democratic Party throughout the 1970s until 1984, when he attained his lifelong goal, being appointed Judge of the 83rd Judicial District of Texas by Governor Mark White. He was re-elected to continue serving as District Judge until he retired in 1999.The Alex R. González Pecos County Judicial Building in Fort Stockton bears his name, in recognition of his many years of service to the community. While retired, he remained active with the Texas Center for the Judiciary until 2017.
Alex R. González is survived by his brothers Manuel R.”M.R.” González, Jr., Abelardo González, and Oscar González, his four children, Amira “Christy” de la Garza, Linda Howard-Burch, Alex John (Carol) González, and Arthur R.(Denisse) González, as well as his former wife, Senaida Ureta González and their nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Private services will be held in order to abide by the current social distancing guidelines suggested for the public. A memorial service will be held at a later date for friends, family, and community members to offer their condolences and celebrate the impact of his life.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Alexander Ramon Gonzalez, please visit our floral store.
This page was created July 15, 2020 from information provided by Ramón Vasquez.