Eugenio “Gene” Gonzales, a football and basketball coach and English teacher at Saginaw High School in Texas, has succumbed to Covid-19. Photo credit: Dignity Memorial.

With sadness, we report that Covid-19 has claimed the life of yet another beloved educator and coach. Eugenio “Gene” Gonzales of Saginaw, Texas, succumbed to the disease on March 16, 2021.

Gene coached football and basketball teams at Saginaw High School. He also taught English there. The respected educator had a reputation for being a very humble man, to the point that some might think he was “very private,” but when it came to his students’ successes in the classroom or on the field, even in life in general, he was always proud. Those who were his students him say his method of teaching them was not just about curriculum, but also about life, perseverance, and how to be a good person. He was known to always see the best in people, and to live his life as a good example for others.

Gene was born on February 17, 1973, in San Angelo, Texas. As a young man, he graduated from Central High School in 1991. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education with a minor in Kinesiology from Texas Wesleyan University, a private Methodist university located in Fort Worth, Texas.