Frank Alfred Gonzales
February 19, 1949 ~ March 5, 2004 .png)
Beloved husband, father, uncle, cousin, mentor, and talented musician, Frank “Freddie” Alfred Gonzales passed away on March 5, 2004. He was preceded in death by his father, Frank H. Gonzales, on November 17, 2003 and his brother, Max Gonzales, many years earlier.
Frank was born
in Tucson, Arizona. He served in the Army from July 1969 to December 1970 in the well-known Army Division 101st Airborne. He was a Combat Medic in Vietnam and was a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal. He worked for Mountain Bell (also known as US West and Qwest) for 32 years.
He is survived by his wife, Esther Gastelum Gonzales; son, Max Alfred Gonzales; mother, Socorro P. Gonzales; sister, Joann Camacho; brother-in-law, Eddie Camacho; niece, Geraldine Gonzales; and other family members and friends. His funeral will be on Saturday, March 13, 2004. Rosary at 9:00 a.m. and Holy Mass at Santa Cruz Catholic Church, 6th Avenue and 22nd Boulevard. Burial immediately following at Holy Hope Cemetery, 3555 N. Oracle. Road. Funeral arrangements by Advantage Funeral Home, 7 E. University Boulevard, 520-624-8685.
Ruben Greenberg
Freddie was a prodigious musician; one of the most talented I have ever had the pleasure to meet and work with. He played in a rock band called "the Travellers", which achieved considerable local fame (he was their drummer-there exists a website devoted to this band). His real dream later on though, was to be a jazz drummer and as a teenager, he impressed a number of jazz greats that passed through Tucson, including Joe Morello of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. The draft and Vietnam was to bring his musical career to an unfortunate halt. He was a combat medic there. That is what the film "MASH" is about, but I imagine the grim reality of it all was rather less funny than the film.
I never saw him again after we both graduated from THS, but I have fond memories of him: of the wonderful person and tremendously talented musician. Rest in blessed peace, Freddie. There will always be a place in my heart for you.
David Trejo
Freddie and I were friends from the 7th grade at Safford until his passing. Our last two years at THS we would walk to school together and some times walk home together unless he had band practice. He had such a crush on Peggy Gradilllas and he would con me into going with him cause he would want to walk home with her. The last time I saw Freddie was in early 1971 at the Cedars, I had just returned from overseas and we got a chance to talk over old times. I never did see him again until my brother in law called in March 2004 to tell me that Freddie had passed. He worked with my brother in law at Ma Bell, US West and Quest for over 30 years. He as one hell of a drummer, he loved his music. His memory crosses my mind often of how he used to walk with that little spring in his step and the constant beat that he would tap out with his hands while just sitting and running that sheet music through his mind. Freddie and Dickie Flores come to mind every time that I visit Fort Sam Houston Medical Center just down the street in San Antonio the Home of the Combat Medic.
THS '67 Webmaster
Max Gonzales, Freddie’s only child, recently contacted the THS Class of 1967 to tell us more about his dad, and we’re happy to hear from him! If anyone would like to get in touch with Max, please click Contact Us on the main page of this website, and we’ll make that happen.
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From Max Gonzales:
I didn't really know much about my dad's high school time through the late '60s, just tidbits of information. He attended Tucson High School while living on the east side with his mom, dad, sister, and brother and was a part of the drum line. He graduated in 1967 and was in the music industry for very little time before he was drafted into the Army in mid–1969. He was in Vietnam from January–December 1970 as a combat medic with the 101st Airborne Division. Since killing combat medics was the enemy’s priority, my dad served in the field only 6 months, and then the other 6 months he was in the rear in a field hospital at Camp Evans in Vietnam. He came back stateside January of 1971, was processed out of the Army, and came back to Tucson in February or March. His time in the Army was then complete.
Between 1971 and 1975 he was getting back to his roots of being in the music industry and began working for the Mountain Bell telephone company as a landline installer. He later became an engineer for all the telephone systems in Tucson.
My dad married my mom on July 3, 1979, and I was born in 1983. During that time he had a very lucrative career with Mountain Bell, which later became US West. In 1993 our family relocated to Denver, Colorado where he served the western states as a telephone engineer to make the phone company more centralized for creating and maintaining service.
After 6 years up in Denver, my dad was given the go to come back to his roots here in Tucson, so in 1999 we returned, and he continued working in his telecommunications career toward retirement. My dad retired from CenturyLink on February 5, 2004 after 32 years of dedicated service. One month later he suddenly passed away from a massive heart attack, so he never really had the chance to enjoy his retirement.
A little bit about me. I'm married and have three kids, two boys and one little girl. I graduated from Canyon del Oro High School (CDO) in 2002 and received my associate’s degree from Pima Community College in 2005. I was a firefighter up to 2013 here in Tucson. Then in 2016 I enlisted in the United States Air Force and am currently serving with the Tucson Air National Guard.
Ron Carswell
Little Tater and the Spuds, one hell of a great drummer. Freddie was amazingly fast and could single hand roll fast enough to get a compliment from Joe Morello, Dave Brubeck Quartet. I never had the priviledge of recording him but I recall seeing them play live at many Tucson locations.His smie and his energy were infectious and he will always bee carrying the beat. Thank you for sharing your talent with us Badgers. Ron Carswell, the ENDZ.