Charles Clarence Garcia, Jr.

When Charles Clarence Garcia, Jr. walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Charles was and how he impacted those around him. Charles was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Charles wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Charles was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Charles was born on April 13, 1937 at San Joaquin General Hospital in Stockton, California. He was the son of Charles Garcia and Margaret Riemer. Charles was raised in Stockton and San Francisco, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Charles might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Charles was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

As a young boy, Charles was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Charles was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Charles took part in tennis and acting. In his spare time he liked tennis, football and music. Charles had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Charles was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Charles was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. Later in life, he became friends with Sly Stone, Billy Preston, Richard Dureyea, his mother, his family and Moses, his dog.

On April 9, 1984 Charles married Rena Hernandez in Santa Ana, California. Charles's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Rena's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Charles was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Charles was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Charles, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Garcia home. Charles's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Charles was blessed with eight children: Charles, Kenny, Anthony, Manolete, Charles, Rickena, Anastasia and Sean. They were also blessed with four grandchildren, Jessica, Keavi, Mikia and Riley.

Charles was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was music management. He was employed for 45 years in the music industry. Charles was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Charles had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Charles's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Charles loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were looking for good restaurants, spending time with family, tennis, horseback riding, running, swimming, watching classic movies, cooking and loved making martinis. Charles had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Charles's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Charles derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included jogging, swimming, tennis and horseback riding. Charles was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, boxing, tennis and golf.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Charles's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included Boxing Golden Gloves and Tennis Trophy.

Charles's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Charles took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Acapulco, Hawaii, Rome, London, New York, San Francisco and all over the world.

Charles was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Moses, a dog, was a best friend for 7 years. His family was rounded out by his horse, Shemier and his dog, King.

Charles Garcia, Jr. passed away on December 1, 2010 at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He is survived by all his children and grandchildren, his mother and Rena Garcia. Services were held at Custer Christiansen Chapel in Covina, California.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Charles. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Charles Garcia, Jr. for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Charles was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.