Anthony J. Gonzales

Anthony J. Gonzales, 94, a resident of Martinsville, NJ passed away on February 1, 2025 at Bridgeway Care in Hillsborough.

Born on June 24, 1930 in Hoboken, to Peter Gonzales and Constance Rottino, he grew up in Jersey City, NJ and graduated from Dickinson High School. After earning a degree at Pace College, Tony was drafted to serve in the Korean War. He married his lifelong love, Doris, on November 29, 1953, during his first reprieve from basic training. They eventually settled in Old Bridge, where they began their family.

Following his discharge in 1955, Tony began a long and storied career in media ad sales. Though he worked across radio, newspaper, and magazines, the latter remained nearest to his heart, with publications as varied as Motor Trend, Skindiver, and Sport Magazine under his purview as account manager at one point or another. While at Sport Magazine, he was elected the company's representative to carry the Olympic Torch in the relay leading up to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

His enthusiasm for running was one of many ways Tony connected with the natural world. He was most at peace wading into a stream with his fly rod, knee deep in earth in his small but well-tended flower garden, or perched over the edge of a boat deck on the open ocean. He nurtured his passion for fishing wherever he traveled, most recently in applying his skills to the tropical waters around Cancun. His fishing trips to Canada were the stuff of legend.

Tony was the life of the party wherever he went. His oversized laugh and perennial habit of humming a few bars of whatever tune was passing through his head helped make him an endearing and energetic storyteller. He was often moved to capture his feelings in verse, much of it written on the theme of his wife, and built a reputation as a comic poet unafraid of sending up his friends (and was often welcomed to do so).

He believed in the profound importance of the written word in relation to being understood, entertained, and informed about the world. A committed archivist of family lore and accomplishments, he was notorious for wanting a copy of everything "for the file." His voracious appetite for reading made him a vigorous debater, and his curiosity led him to read widely, modeling the attitude that any recommendation is welcome and worthy of sincere engagement.

He was known to different parts of his family as Sonny, Dad, Uncle Tony, and Pop-Pop. He leaves behind to cherish his memories his loving wife Doris, daughters Lynne and Susan, son in-law Robert, grandchildren Michael, Steven, and Jim, his beloved sister Lorraine, and his many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held from 4-7PM on Friday, February 7, 2025  at the Bridgewater Funeral Home, 707 East Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. Prayers will be said at 9:30AM on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at the funeral home, followed by entombment at Resurrection Cemetery in Piscataway.

In lieu of flowers, Tony's family invites those who loved him to make a donation to the American Cancer Society. 

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