- Born on: January 2, 1929
- Departed on: October 13, 2017
- Resided in: Ankeny, IA
Peter Joseph Gonzalez
Peter Joseph Gonzalez, age 88, Ankeny, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 13, 2017, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at Queen of Peace Parish Church at 320 Mulberry Street in Waterloo, Iowa. Visitation will be held at the church, prior to the service, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. The burial ceremony will immediately follow the service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 3912 W 4th St in Waterloo. A reception for family and friends will follow the burial ceremony at 5:00 PM at the church.
Peter was born January 2, 1929, in La Paz, Bolivia. In 1953, he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Anglo-American Institute of La Paz, Bolivia. As a young man, he enjoyed hanging out with good friends and going out dancing till dawn! By random chance, but followed by deliberate effort, Peter won the heart of a beautiful, strong, and vibrant young nurse, Elsa Victoria Camacho. On September 6, 1953, he married the love of his life Elsa, then together they made a life-changing decision in 1953 to come to the United States, becoming naturalized citizens in 1959 and settling and raising their family in Waterloo, Iowa. Together they had four children: Ana Maria, Joseph, Michael, and David. He was preceded in passing by his wife Elsa and son David. Peter was a proud grandfather to 13 and great-grandfather to seven!
Peter spent most of his career in accounting and finance leadership positions at St. Francis Hospital in Waterloo, then spent several post-retirement years with Elsa serving the International Red Cross in similar roles in Mexico and South America. Peter and Elsa spent 15 or more years of their lives in Iowa actively involved in foreign student exchange efforts as well as numerous civic and professional clubs in Waterloo, serving as President of the Waterloo Latin American Club for 5 years. Peter and Elsa loved to entertain and travel. He was active in leisure and competitive tennis for most of his adult life in Iowa, continuing to play well into his 80’s!
Peter was also actively involved in service at Queen of Peach Parish Church in Waterloo for several years until he moved to Ankeny in 2017 to be closer to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Thank you, family and friends, for joining in the celebration of Peter’s life!
Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at Queen of Peace Parish Church at 320 Mulberry Street in Waterloo, Iowa. Visitation will be held at the church, prior to the service, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. The burial ceremony will immediately follow the service at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 3912 W 4th St in Waterloo. A reception for family and friends will follow the burial ceremony at 5:00 PM at the church.
Peter was born January 2, 1929, in La Paz, Bolivia. In 1953, he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the Anglo-American Institute of La Paz, Bolivia. As a young man, he enjoyed hanging out with good friends and going out dancing till dawn! By random chance, but followed by deliberate effort, Peter won the heart of a beautiful, strong, and vibrant young nurse, Elsa Victoria Camacho. On September 6, 1953, he married the love of his life Elsa, then together they made a life-changing decision in 1953 to come to the United States, becoming naturalized citizens in 1959 and settling and raising their family in Waterloo, Iowa. Together they had four children: Ana Maria, Joseph, Michael, and David. He was preceded in passing by his wife Elsa and son David. Peter was a proud grandfather to 13 and great-grandfather to seven!
Peter spent most of his career in accounting and finance leadership positions at St. Francis Hospital in Waterloo, then spent several post-retirement years with Elsa serving the International Red Cross in similar roles in Mexico and South America. Peter and Elsa spent 15 or more years of their lives in Iowa actively involved in foreign student exchange efforts as well as numerous civic and professional clubs in Waterloo, serving as President of the Waterloo Latin American Club for 5 years. Peter and Elsa loved to entertain and travel. He was active in leisure and competitive tennis for most of his adult life in Iowa, continuing to play well into his 80’s!
Peter was also actively involved in service at Queen of Peach Parish Church in Waterloo for several years until he moved to Ankeny in 2017 to be closer to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Thank you, family and friends, for joining in the celebration of Peter’s life!
