Manuel Raul Gonzalez

MANUEL R. GONZALEZ, 83, CW4 (Ret.) U.S. Army, passed away Sunday, August 11, 2019. Manny was born in New York, NY and grew up in the working-class Chelsea neighborhood. He received his amateur radio license as a teenager and was an active “ham” operator as W2BFI for 68 years. Manny completed 32 years of military service in Air Defense Artillery and retired from active duty in 1986. He served in California, Boston, El Paso (Ft. Bliss), Germany, Korea, and Key West. Upon his retirement, he began many years of volunteer work with PTA, Boy Scouts, as a band and orchestra parent, and served as a trustee at his church. In addition, he served on the Board of the Visiting Nurses Association and was an active member in several local radio clubs, including the QCWA, where he served as an officer for 29 years. He loved his family, his church, his community, a wide variety of music, and was an avid Star Trek fan. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Sharon, and his two children, Steven (Jessica) and Susan Gonzalez, and granddaughter Audrie Garcia-Gonzalez. The celebration of life will be held on Friday, August 16, 2019 at 3:00PM at Western Hills United Methodist Church, 524 Thunderbird, with Rev. Kim Kinsey and Rev. Amy Mercer officiating. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Western Hills Foundation, Western Hills United Methodist Church, 524 Thunderbird, El Paso, Texas, 79912. Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home-West, 480 N. Resler Dr. Please visit our online registry at www.sunsetfuneralhome.net