James Gonzales

James "Uncle Jim" Gonzales, 96, died Saturday, October 26th, at home surrounded by family in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, following a brief illness. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; son, Bobby Tomblin; and grandson Joey Tomblin. He leaves behind a son, Joe Tomblin and his wife Jeanette; granddaughters Janel Tomblin-Brown and Deborah Hawkins; great-grandchildren Summer, JoJo and Meg; and numerous nieces and nephews. Born in Los Angeles to Manuel Gonzales and Josefina Negretta, he was raised in Denver, and served his country with pride during his career as a communications specialist in the U.S. Army during both World War 2 and the Korean War. He spoke often of his experiences in Africa, Italy, England, France and Korea. He retired at the rank of Master Sergeant. While still in the Army, he met his wife, Margaret Johnson Tomblin, while playing bingo in Phenix City, AL. The couple eventually moved to Huntsville, AL, where he worked for General Electric and SCI Systems. When he finally officially retired from working, he enjoyed a variety of activities: fishing, playing poker, rock collecting, metal detecting, playing softball, gardening, gathering pecans, and taking trips to the Gold Strike casino in Tunica. He was a quiet, unassuming man with a wicked sense of humor that kept everyone laughing. He loved his family and dogs, although sometimes not in that particular order . A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Hampton Cove Funeral Home.

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