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In memory of

Edward Gonzalez

Malibu, CA

February 25, 2018 - October 2, 2018

Feb 25, 2018 - Oct 2, 2018

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Edward Gonzalez, 85, a long-time resident
of Malibu, California, peacefully passed
away on Tuesday, October 2, 2018 in
Calabasas after a brave 5-year battle
with heart failure.

He was born on February 25, 1933 in Los
Angeles to the late Alba Piedra de la
Concha of Cuba, and the late Manuel
Pedro Gonzalez of the Canary Islands,
Spain. He and his older sister, Yolanda,
were both raised in Los Angeles.

After attending University High School in
Los Angeles, he joined the US Navy where
he served as a Lieutenant J.G. during the
Korean War.

Afterwards, he attended UCLA where he
graduated and later earned his PhD in
Political Science. In 1959, he married
Mildred “Millie” Weiss and they had two
children, Susan and John. He and Millie
were together until her death in 1990.

Edward began teaching at Wellesley
College in Massachusetts in 1964 while
working on his PhD dissertation. In 1967 he
began teaching at UCLA in the Department
of Political Science, Latin America Studies,
specializing in Cuba until his retirement in
1995.

In addition to being Professor Emeritus of
Political Science, UCLA, he was also a
member of the Adjunct staff of the RAND
Corporation where he was a policy advisor
concentrating on US Foreign Policy
between the US and Cuban governments.

Over the last 40+ years, he authored and
co-authored many reports, studies, essays,
articles and non-fiction books on Cuba and
Fidel Castro, and on US/Cuba relations. In
2002 he became the published author of a
fictional novel, Ernesto’s Ghost, a spy-
thriller and love story set in Cuba during the
1970s.

A prolific reader, he had an extensive
knowledge on a wide range of subjects, and
was always a trusted, sought-out source of
sound advice. Intelligent, compassionate
and caring, warm-hearted, humorous, and
generous, he was a much-loved and
admired son, brother, husband, father,
grandfather, uncle, companion and friend.

He was a very knowledgeable movie buff
and an avid music lover, with an extensive
collection of classical music and eclectic
collection of folk music and rock and roll.

In the early 1970s he became a skilled
fisherman and then taught the rest of the
family how to fish. Throughout the decades,
the whole family enjoyed countless times
together on fishing trips in the Sierras and
in Baja, Mexico, or fishing locally in Malibu.
He treasured the outdoors and nature,
loved to hike, ride horses and travel. He
had a special bond with his Doberman
Pinscher “Griffie” and a love for German
Shepherd Dogs.

Edward was a very active, healthy and
athletic man who played tennis every week
for many years. He kept very busy and was
always able to balance his time between
work and time with his family and friends.
He taught himself how to cook and became
quite good at it. He enjoyed entertaining
and his cooking was something everyone looked forward to.

He loved to travel and vacationed in many
different domestic and international
destinations with his late wife, family and
friends. After his retirement, he and his
partner Beth Levin also traveled to many
exotic, interesting destinations.

Edward was the beloved husband of the
late Millie Gonzalez. He was preceded in
death by his parents and his older sister,
Yolanda Gonzalez Porro. Edward is
survived by his daughter, Susan Gonzalez;
his son, John Gonzalez and wife Jennifer;
his grandchild, Nina Gonzalez; his nephew,
Bruce Weiss; and companion/partner Beth
Levin, along with many family members and
many friends too numerous to list but not forgotten.

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