Rita Gonzales

Rita Gonzales, born April 4, 1940, in Los Angeles, California, passed away peacefully at her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on August 23, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. She leaves behind a legacy rooted in tenderness, devotion, and the steady, generous love she gave so freely to those around her.

Rita was, above all, devoted to her family. She was an excellent homemaker, creating not only a home, but a place of welcome, comfort, and togetherness for the people she loved. Her family was her proudest accomplishment, and that truth was reflected in the way she lived each day—with care, warmth, and a heart always open to others.

She was known as a woman with a heart of gold: kind, gentle, caring, and endlessly giving. Rita opened both her heart and her home to everyone, and those who knew her will remember the ease of her hospitality and the comfort of her presence. She was especially celebrated for her excellent meals and amazing cooking skills, gifts that nourished both body and spirit and brought family together around her table time and again.

Rita loved taking family vacations, and those shared journeys became treasured memories for the people closest to her. Whether at home or away, she found joy in simply being with her family. She also enjoyed her daily routines, and many will smile to remember her watching her novelas and keeping up with daytime drama shows.

A very loving mother and grandmother, Rita absolutely adored her fifteen grandchildren, who cherished being wrapped up in “grandma’s arms.” That image captures so much of who she was: affectionate, reassuring, and full of love. She was also a very dear aunt to her nieces and nephews, and her care extended across generations of family.

Rita is survived by her sons, Richard Gonzales, Jose Gonzales, and Anthony Gonzales; by , Alex and Annabell Ortiz; and Simon and Victoria  Gonzales. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jose Luis Gonzales, and by her daughter, Charlotte Ortiz.

Those who loved Rita will remember a woman whose life was centered on family, whose cooking brought people close, whose kindness made others feel at home, and whose love was constant and deep. Her memory will live on in family vacations fondly recalled, in meals shared with love, in the familiar comfort of home, and in the embrace of a grandmother, mother, and aunt whose presence meant so much.