Richard Gonzalez

Our husband, father, grandfather and friend, Richard Gonzalez, 82, most recently of Brigham City, Utah, passed away Friday, March 28, 2025, at Brigham City Community Hospital from pneumonia after back surgery. Born May 11, 1942, in San Antonio, Texas, Richard was one of 17 children of Lucio Gonzalez Rosas and Juanita Sotelo Salinas.

Richard was raised a Catholic in San Antonio, Texas where he graduated from Fox Technical School and began his professional career. Throughout his life he also lived in California and Germany, finally settling in Northern Utah, in Ogden, Pleasant View, and Brigham City.

He enlisted in the United States Navy in January of 1961, serving over five years during the Vietnam War as a Machine Shop Technician and honorably discharged from the USS Klondike as a Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class in April of 1966. In October of that same year, Richard enlisted in the United States Air Force at Bitburg Air Force Base in Germany, serving as a Dental Technician for 15 years, being honorably discharged at the end of May 1981 as a Staff Sergeant. Richard was grateful to serve his country this way.

Richard was married to DeeElla Greene, and they had two sons, Richard Lucio and Michael Raymond. They later divorced.

Richard later joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He found and married his best friend, Susan Kaye Valentine on February 14, 1995, in the Ogden Utah Temple, later also being sealed there. For 30 years for each anniversary, they attended one or two different temples they’d never been to before.

Some highlights of Richard’s life include being an usher for the San Diego Chargers and his favorite baseball team, the San Diego Padres, and retiring from Weber State University as Shipping and Receiving Clerk in the Bookstore.

Among his many hobbies and skills, Richard loved golf, pottery, genealogy, and working in his yard and garden. He volunteered with the Special Olympics in California and at the Life-Skills and Individual Needs Center in Brigham City and at the Brigham City Community Hospital where he would later be lovingly served by the staff in his final days. He also served in the Ogden Utah Temple as a Veil Worker, and as a Senior Service Missionary as a Host at the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City. He served in various other callings in the Church as well. He was grateful to serve the Lord this way.

The family thanks all those at the ICU in the Brigham City Community Hospital who helped with Richard’s care for their kindness and professionalism.

Richard is survived by his wife, Susan Gonzalez, Brigham City; sons, Richard (Luci) Gonzalez, San Diego; and Michael Gonzalez, Ogden; 7 grandchildren, Errica (Steve) McMahon, Analicia (Josh) Baakko, Alexis (Marquis) Mesa, Erick Gonzalez, Anthony Gonzalez, Amanda Simmons, and Victoria (Jackson) Boyd; 13 great-grandchildren, his brothers, Leroy Lucio Gonzalez and Louis George Gonzalez, both of San Antonio, Texas; and stepchildren, Mandy (Mike) Burge, Holly (Jason) Potter, Lori (Derek) Ginn, and Mathew Pickett; 12 step-grandchildren, and 7 step-great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by 13 of his brothers and by one sister.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 2 p.m. at Lindquist’s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Friends may visit with family on Saturday from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the mortuary. Interment, Ben Lomond Cemetery, 526 East 2850 North, North Ogden, where military honors will be accorded.

Services will be live-streamed and available the day of the services by scrolling to the bottom of Richard’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com where condolences may also be shared.

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