Ziggy Gonzalez-A Lifetime of Education and Activism

Editor’s Note: We learned about the passing of Ignacio “Ziggy” Gonzalez (December 16, 1930 – August 29, 2025) from our friends at Western International High School. Ziggy was a favorite with students and faculty at Wilson Junior High School and Western High School where he also coached baseball. He started several hockey teams, eventaully becaming one of the first driving members of the Clark Park Coalition. He was a catalyst for promoting Clark Park and did all he could to make it flourish, to the point he was called “Mr. Clark Park”.

Juan Carlos Sanchez said of Ziggy, “We have suffered a tremendous loss. Know, Ziggy, that all you did for so many generations of students and our community is not unnoticed. Southwest Detroit salutes you.” Steve Tococman said he himself is a more generous and graceful person from watching how Ziggy treated others. “I am not sure one could be a better human being than Ziggy Gonzalez,” Tococman said. Robert Tave called him “a voice of understanding.”

To commemorate the life and legacy of Ziggy Gonzalez, we are reprinting a column written by Ozzie Rivera about Ziggy that was originally published in EL CENTRAL Hispanic News, November 2020.

Pensamientos y Recuerdos

I recently had a conversation with long-time friend and activist Ignacio “Ziggy” Gonzalez during which we reflected on his lifetime of activism. Ziggy has had a major influence on so many of us who call or use to call southwest Detroit our home. Over the decades he has been a social studies teacher, a baseball & hockey coach, community organizer and one of the founding members of the Clark Park Coalition. As many of you may know Clark Park is considered one of Detroit’s community-based recreational treasures yet many do not know that in the early 90’s the City of Detroit was ready to close it down. Then city officials met the ire of a number of community residents and activists, such as Deb Sumner and Ziggy Gonzalez which stopped those plans dead in its tracks. And as the saying goes “the rest is history”.

During the late 70’s I ran a youth center, sponsored by Latino Community Outreach Services (later to assume the name of Latino Family Services), located on West Grand Blvd and Porter not far from Clark Park and Western High where Ziggy was a well-liked social studies teacher. Our youth often talked highly of “Ziggy” and the fact that he really cared about students.

The philosophy guiding the youth center was a “Youth for Youth” empowerment strategy which they truly took to heart. Through their own initiative a teacher mentoring program was set up after they spoke to Ziggy and a few other teachers at Western. 

It soon became evident these teachers were committed to the young people and truly cared for them. I would even say they loved the students. Ziggy was a standout even among this truly extraordinary group. Our friendship took off from that point and has only grown over the years. The fact that Ziggy was an avid jazz and music fan enhanced that friendship. After learning of my musical interests he would often seek me out to talk about music. I for my part loved to hear the stories he told of the West End Hotel, which housed a well-known jazz venue during the 50’s and early 60’s located in our southwest Detroit’s DelRay community and of his friendships with a number of well-known jazz musicians who also happened to be Detroit Public Schools (DPS) music instructors during the heyday of DPS’ music program. A program that influenced so many students who would later become famous Motown and jazz artists. He was particularly close to Ben Pruitt, the renowned big band jazz director who would eventually become director of DPS’ music department. Reflecting on why Jazz had such a great impact on him he simply stated “Jazz opened up my world because it is the only “free” music which allows for freedom of expression.”

If you ever have had the good fortune of sitting down with him you quickly found out that he readily breaks into telling jokes and getting everyone into a laughing mood. As he has stated on numerous occasions he appreciates “true friendship” because he believes it is something money can’t buy.

Come December he will be 90 years young.  He spoke about the deep impact his family had on him. His dad was raised on a farm in Jalisco Mexico and came to Detroit in 1924. His mother, a school teacher from Guadalajara Mexico followed in 1928. Ziggy was born in Detroit.

Ziggy’s sense of justice and activism goes back decades. He recounts that while in the Air Force in the early 50’s, he was stationed in Savanna, Georgia during which time he coached a military league baseball team. His was the only integrated team, out of six. He recounts complaints were made against him leading an integrated team but nonetheless he stuck to his guns and never wavered coaching the integrated team. Remember this was even before the civil rights movement picked up steam through the south with the now famous Montgomery bus boycott. He spent 4 years in Georgia while serving in the Air Force.

When asked about his teaching career which started in 1967, he explains he was first assigned to Wilson School in the Central & Vernor area and remained there for four years. In 1971 he was assigned to Western High School where he taught Social Studies for a total of 20 years. By the end of the 70’s he also was named baseball coach and remained in that position throughout the 80’s. He shared coaching responsibilities with Al Fernandez who for a number of years had served as La Sed’s Youth Center director. Among the many talented players that passed through Western, which was always a contender within the Detroit Public Schools League, was Todd Cruz who would go on to play with a number of major league baseball teams. 

Ziggy retired from teaching in 1989 but was soon to find himself organizing to save Clark Park as a key member of the Clark Park Coalition mentioned above. The Coalition is now considered a premier model for how to involve community members in city based recreational services. Programming at the park has steadily grown over the years and is under the current leadership of the Coalition director Anthony Benavides, a close friend and colleague of Ziggy Gonzales.

When asked what he credits his success to in organizing over the years he simply states “It is getting the right number of right people on the same page at the same time.”

I asked him “If you were to look back on your work what do you believe were your best experiences?” He answered “The kids I met. I always learned from them. I had a chance to meet so many youth and their families who came from different ethnicities, races and economic situations. I love kids. Kids are honest” He continues “I have always had friends of different nationalities, ethnicities and races. Many who suffered from racism and that always bothered me. I have a strong reaction against racism and colorism. If you talk straight to people, life is not complicated…….. If you don’t believe it talk to kids.”

For an obituary and memorial service details, visit Ziggy Obiturary. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Angela Hospice or the Clark Park Coalition in Ziggy’s honor.