Robert "Bobby" Henry Gonzales Jr.'s Obituary
Born in Jacksonville, Florida to parents Mary Louise (Balboa) and Robert Henry, Sr., Bobby spent most of his childhood in San Antonio, Texas, where some of his fondest times were being the bat-boy for his father’s baseball team. As a pre-teen he moved to Hazel Park, Michigan a suburb of the “Motor City” a place he’d call home for the majority of his life. He became a big brother a few times over, his mother going on to have his sister Phyllis (Stephens) and his father and step-mother Molly (Palacios) going on to have his brother Roland and sister Lisa (Marques). He was a father to his three girls, Mellisa (preceded in death), Nicole (Glazer) and Stephani. As a dad he was one of a kind. One of the things he found most joy in was canoe trips with his daughters on the Rifle River. He lovingly referred to his girls as “J1, J2, & J3” (if you’d like to know, just ask). Bob was a proud grandfather to Christian, Tyler, Nicholas, Elijah, Ashlee, Nevaeh, Angelo and Ian, he was also an uncle to four nephews and one niece.
As a teen he was passionate about sports, gaining notoriety as a wrestler. After graduating Hazel Park High School he became a sailor in the US Navy. He served his country in the Vietnam War aboard ship USS Brownson and was honorably discharged after four years of service in, 1974. Throughout adulthood he remained interested in sports and was always on a baseball team and known for his shenanigans on the golf course. A highlight in his life was going to the annual “cousins golf outing” in northern Michigan every late July where he spent a long weekend with all his cousins and extended family partaking in debauchery that kept them all in stitches.
In his professional career Bobby spent early years working in the Fleetwood assembly plant producing Cadillacs. Later in life he worked as a semi-truck driver, up until just a few years ago.
Bob spent his final years in Sterling Heights with his long-time partner, Robin Dopp. He enjoyed hanging with all his buddies at their local corner bar catching whatever game was on and giving all the waitresses strife. He lived a full, spirited life. After battling a brief illness in the hospital he passed peacefully while surrounded by loved ones. He will be missed immeasurably.
There will be a Celebration of Life for Bobby on March 1st from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Pub 1281, located at 1281 Gratiot Ave, Clinton Township, MI 48036. The family will make a formal announcement.
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