Maria F. Gonzales

Maria “Felonis” Gonzales was born on 11/05/1922 in Las Vegas, New Mexico to the parents of Jose Urbano and Josefita Lucero. She was the youngest daughter of 8 children Ben, Roger, Ray, Johnnie, Annie, Clorinda, and Clara. Felonis had only one child, Nancy Gonzales who passed away in 1993. Felonis is survived by: her sister Clorinda; her 2 grandchildren, Marlene and Alvin; and 5 great grandchildren, TaShina, LaPhonso, Zoe, Diego, and Mya.

After her first job working at the Five n Dime in Las Vegas, Felonis met and married George Gonzales and they moved to Denver. Felonis retired from working in the laundry department at Colorado General Hospital. She was known by all the doctors as she embroidered their names on their coats. Felonis loved music and dancing more than anything. She started her daughter Nancy in lessons to learn piano, dance and to sing at the age of five.

As Nancy performed all over Colorado including Red Rocks for the “Show-wagon” and on the Spanish radio station Felonis cheered her on. Once Nancy began performing ballet folklorico and flamenco she wore the most beautiful dresses hand stitched by Felonis.

Later on in life, she began volunteering at Berkeley/Scheitler recreation center where she started taking her own dance lessons. She loved ballroom dancing and her favorite was the tango. Felonis met Lou Berard in the 90’s who became her life and dance partner. They loved going to the Elks Lodge on Saturdays to dance the nights away.

But her favorite time was being with her grandchildren and her nieces Lorraine and Karen. Felonis liked to go out to eat with her grandchildren and to go shopping. She loved tacos, bbq ribs and couldn’t live a day without ice cream. She was known for being sweet, candid, self-sufficient, funny and very very sassy. She was adored by everyone who met her.