Luis Carlos Garcia's Obituary
Luis Carlos Garcia was born on May 29, 1958 to Oralia Garcia Velarde in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. He was the second child, with three other siblings, Juan Humberto, Rosa Imelda and Ana Rosa. His mother, Oralia worked as a seamtress in an upholstery factory while the children attended school and played together with their cousins in the family compound.
In September 1975, Carlos moved to Merced, California to live with his relatives and worked as an upholsterer in a furniture store. While in Merced,he met the love of his life, Anamaria Rivera. There was an instant spark that these two knew they would make a life together. After a brief courtship they were married on April 18, 1977 in Merced. From this union, their son Luis Carlos Jr. was born. Shortly afterwards, the family of three moved down to National City, CA. At this time Carlos Sr. worked as a mechanic, while Anamaria became an employee of the National School District. Carlos Jr. attended National City schools and graduated from San Diego State University. As the family settled in their community, father and son bonded over their love of cars and developed skills as mechanics. In addition, Carlos Sr., enjoyed his home with the many avocado trees, that allowed him to work in his large yard.
As a family Carlos and Anamaria enjoyed trips to Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tijuana, and occasional visits back to Merced. They also enjoyed having many barbeques, picnics, and parties with their family and many friends. One favorite destination of the family was their annual trip to Las Vegas. Carlos looked forward to the excitment and atmosphere of Sin City. However, as we all know, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... . One trip of a life time that Carlos really loved was the family trip to Maui. They rented a car and went sightseeing around the island. Carlos particularly loved the rugged terrain of Hawaii, with the many waterfalls, cliffs, and ocean views. The culture and history of the Hawaiian Islands were especially interesting to Carlos.
Carlos was a loving, charismatic, and vibrant man who dearly loved his family and friends. While he faced many years of physical challenges,Carlos always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude. His doctors were impressed by his strong spirit and will to live. Carlos even developed close friendships with his many doctors and nurses. Despite the many types of cancers and chemotherapy treatments Carlos had to face, his strong determination to beat these illnesses was truely inspirational. Carlos leaves to his family and friends his love, humor, and strength as his legacy to enjoy life to its fullest. A few favorites of Carlos: Family. Avocados. Laughter. Happy go lucky. Cars. Smiles,and of course, "Do you want a beer"?
The family would like to thank all their relatives, many friends, doctors, and nurses who loved and supported Carlos during his long and rough battle with cancer.
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