LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Anyone who has played sports in West Texas or Eastern New Mexico over the last 60 years has probably seen official Sam Gonzales in the black and white stripes. The beloved longtime referee died Sunday, after battling cancer.
Schools all across the South Plains held moments of silence for Sam, “Sammy,” Gonzales, before their basketball game tipoffs Tuesday night.
“Sam, if he had his way, he would have took his last breath on a field or on a basketball court,” Oscar Shorten, his colleague and longtime local sports official, said.
Sam lived in Muleshoe and juggled caring for his family with delivering mail and owning a store. But, his son, Jerry Gonzales, says Sam’s passion was on the court.
“His priority was just being around kids… He was a role model for everybody,” Gonzales said.
In 61 years, Sam tallied officiating 917 baseball games, 2,205 softball games, 4,016 football games and 21,642 basketball games at 91 schools.
Shorten remembers Sam’s larger-than-life persona, his talent for recruiting other referees, and the tamales he would bring to sell at games.
“Sam’s sense of humor sticks out over everything. There was hardly a serious moment. He could disarm a coach when a coach was upset or angry with him, he could disarm a coach with a joke or with a smile,” Shorten said.
Hundreds of players and parents recalled memories with Sam and expressed condolences for his family on social media.
It is with extreme sadness and heartbreak to learn longtime Official Sam Gonzales passed away this afternoon in Muleshoe…
Jerry says his dad was determined to ref one final game for the Lazbuddie tournament this weekend.
“He kept on asking my mom, do you think I’m gonna be able to go out there and be with the kids and that way I could just see them one more time?” Jerry said.
Jerry says Lazbuddie plans to honor Sam at the tournament Saturday. Sam will don his uniform once again, as he’s laid to rest in it Monday afternoon.
The service is at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Muleshoe. His family says instead of flowers, Sam requested people make donations to the church.
Sam’s family wants people to send memories and photos to the email jerry0419gon@gmail.com for a scrapbook.
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