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2022 SESSION

22103361D
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 188
Offered February 4, 2022
Celebrating the life of John Richard Gonzales.
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Patrons-- Batten and Mullin; Senators: Mason and Norment
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WHEREAS, John Richard Gonzales, a renowned chef, accomplished author, and beloved member of the Williamsburg community, died on October 31, 2021; and

WHEREAS, a graduate of Christchurch School, John Gonzales briefly played soccer at Hope College before discovering his passion to be a chef; he then went on to apprentice with the five-star Williamsburg Inn and graduated from the Culinary Institute of America; and

WHEREAS, John Gonzales embarked upon his illustrious culinary career as an executive chef at some of the premier dining destinations in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, including the Jockey Club at the Ritz Carlton in Fairfax, the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., and the Deer Park Inn in Maryland; and

WHEREAS, John Gonzales would go on to oversee major food operations in the Commonwealth, serving as a consultant and executive chef for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, as well as corporate executive chef for the large-scale food suppliers Virginia Foodservice Group and Performance Foodservice Group; and

WHEREAS, in addition to his work in the kitchen, John Gonzales authored two celebrated cookbooks on behalf of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, The Colonial Williamsburg Tavern Cookbook (2001) and Holiday Fare – Favorite Williamsburg Recipes (2004); and

WHEREAS, in his latest venture as co-owner and executive chef of A Chef’s Kitchen in Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchants Square, John Gonzales enlivened his guests’ dining experiences through his captivating and informative cooking demonstrations; and

WHEREAS, a prominent and active member of the Williamsburg community, John Gonzales participated in the annual Dancing With the Williamsburg Stars in 2019 to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Virginia Peninsula and Literacy for Life at the Rita Welsh Adult Learning Center; and

WHEREAS, John Gonzales will be fondly remembered and dearly missed by his loving wife, Wanda; his children, Isaac, William, and Annabelle, and their families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of John Richard Gonzales, an esteemed chef whose contributions to the Williamsburg community touched countless lives; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of John Richard Gonzales as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.