Maria D. Garcia

Maria was born on February 8, 1952, to Felipe and Juana Porras in Santa Ana, California. She was the youngest of eight children. Maria met the love of her life, Raul Garcia, at 15 years old while attending Smedly Junior High School. They would welcome their first daughter, Lorraine, in June of 1968. They were married on March 7, 1969, just months before welcoming their second daughter, Katharine, in July. Raul and Maria welcomed 3 more daughters, Julie in 1974, Annette in 1978 and Sara in 1985.

Maria was blessed with ten grandchildren, she had a special relationship with all her grandchildren and would try to attend any event whether it was a baseball game, football game, cheer competition, music recital - it did not matter. She made the effort to be there even if it was for the last five minutes.

She not only raised her five daughters, but she also raised three of her grandchildren as well as her great grandson Adam.

She was a talented seamstress which was a skill she learned from her older sisters, Lupe and Virginia. There was no a pattern that she could not reproduce. She loved to spend hours at the local fabric store looking at patterns and fabrics. She even started a small side business making scrubs for other medical professionals because, in her opinion, scrubs looked boring. She had a scrub for every holiday; I do not believe she ever wore the same scrub in a month’s time. She would often make blankets as gifts, sewing many baby layettes for a baby shower gifts, or a blanket of your favorite sports team because she saw the fabric and thought of the person.

Maria made friends wherever she went whether it was on the baseball field, football field or at a doctor’s appointment; Maria was never a stranger.

Maria is preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, Raul; her daughter, Lorraine; her baby boy, Raul Jr.; her parents, Felipe and Juana; her sisters, Dolores and Helen; and her brothers, Larry and Tommy.

Maria is survived by her daughters, Katharine Hughes (David), Julie Garcia, Annette Soto (Alberto) and Sara Garcia; her 10 grandchildren, Anthony, Adam and Tiffany Zubia, Nicholas Moss, Eliza Navarette, Juan Carlos Escalante Jr., Sylvanna Aguilar, Vince Lazaro, Karla and Alberto (Pops) Soto; her great grandson who she raised, Adam Zubia; her 12 great grandchildren; her sisters, Lupe Valenzuela, Virginia Casteñada and Rosie Arriola; and her 17 godchildren and many other friends and family.