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Gregory James Gonzalez, CPA

June 7, 2019

On May 13, 2019, THSSH Treasurer Greg Gonzalez died suddenly at his home.  Greg was a treasured asset to The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills and will be deeply missed.

Gregory James Gonzalez, CPA
August 23, 1957 – May 13, 2019
Gregory James Gonzalez, CPA, age 61 years, of Basking Ridge, NJ, died suddenly on Monday, May 13, 2019 at his home.

Born in Newark, NJ, August 23, 1957, son of the late Horatio and Elenora Wurst Gonzalez, he was raised in Maplewood, NJ and would live in Branchburg and Middlesex, NJ before moving to Basking Ridge eight years ago.

A 1975 graduate of Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ, Greg would continue his education at Rutgers University receiving his B.A. in accounting and economics in 1979. He would further his graduate studies at Rutgers, earning his CPA designation in 1985.

Highly proficient in the field, Greg would use his knowledge and people skills to own and operate the well-trusted and highly regarded financial planning, business consulting, and accounting firm of Leaver & Gonzalez in Basking Ridge for over thirty years.

A well regarded guest speaker at Raritan Valley Community College, he was also a frequent speaker at many professional tax seminars. Greg was a member of the American Institute of CPA’s as well as the New Jersey Society of CPA’s Member of Congress Key Person Program.

He attained many professional and community accolades over the years including being selected as the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce 2002 Outstanding Business Person of the Year in the small business category and receiving a Volunteer Award from the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

Always civic minded, he was a charter member and also served as treasurer of the Branchburg Rotary Club. While there, he helped initiate a program through the Rotary Club, called “invest in a cop”, which paid for bulletproof vests for police officers.

Greg served as a board member of the Resource Center for Women and their Families and was a Somerset County 4-H club leader for many years. He was a trustee of The Historical Society of Somerset Hills, where he served as treasurer and was also treasurer of the Branchburg Township Sesquicentennial Committee and the Branchburg Country Fair Committee.

Greg was a man who worked hard and played hard. He loved his job, but knew how to balance that with being a dad to his three children, a brother to his two siblings, and a dear friend to all that he met.

His children recall their Dad as teaching them to be independent and plan for the future, all while having fun and enjoying this thing called, “life”. From teaching them to drive by taking them to Newark Airport in a torrential downpour to the main streets of cities during rush hour, to spending weekends camping with them at 4-H, he was there for them on every level. He believed that education was important but that “street smarts” were as well. It was all about balance.

He had many passions in life, including his family and his profession. He loved the outdoors, including hunting, archery and fishing. He was a wiz with a pool cue and played billiards professionally. Cooking (and eating…especially smoked foods), were part of his recipe for hosting parties where family and friends could spend time enjoying life. He also enjoyed planting a vegetable garden and taking care of his house. Travel was also on his list of activities and he enjoyed seeing and learning about the global world in which we all live; from Alaska to the Galapagos Islands, Greg saw it all, and appreciated those times making friends wherever he went.

To sum up, Greg was a man who was generous with his time and talent and was determined to see that all those around him lived every day to the fullest. Though his life was cut short, his legacy will not fade anytime from the hearts of all those who loved him and were loved by him.

Surviving are his three children, Laura Gonzalez and her husband, Josh Eberts, Diane Dantas and her husband, Braz Dantas, and Brian Gonzalez and his companion, Kathleen Carini; his sister, Marianne Herring and her husband, Elliot, his brother, Ronald Gonzalez and his wife, Carol; his fiancé, Carmen Aguirre and her children, Daemon, Haether and Kaela Cortese; Carmen’s brother, Luis Aguirre who was very close with Greg; his nieces, Jessica and her husband, Philip Mascaro and Kristin and her husband, Michael Gutman; his great nephew, Jaxon Mascaro; several cousins and extended family; and many dear friends.