Teddy Frank Garcia

Teddy “Frank” Garcia was a man whose name carried many meanings to those who loved him. To friends and acquaintances, he was simply Frank. To his grandchildren, he was affectionately known as Papa. And to his sons, he was Dad—or lovingly, Pops. Born on June 4, 1946, to Juan Antonio and Priscilla Maria Garcia in Lemitar, NM, he entered the world and was known as Tiodolo Francisco Garcia.

Frank was raised in Albuquerque, NM, until the family moved west, where they settled in Long Beach, CA. Frank’s childhood wasn’t easy. Growing up in a family of 12, Frank quickly learned to be scrappy and resourceful, as money was tight, and everyone worked to earn their fair share. From this rough start in the world, Frank learned the value of hard work which was a guiding principle in his life from a very young age.

Frank was drafted during the Vietnam War, where he proudly served as a Specialist 5 in the US Army. He deployed to Vung Tau, Vietnam in 1967, and served as a Combat Engineer where he trained to be a welder, constructing bridges to help American troops move forward, only to turn around and demolish those same bridges so the enemy couldn’t follow.

After returning from Vietnam, Frank married his teenage sweetheart, Guadalupe Fimbres in May 1969. They had met prior to Frank getting drafted, while working at Mexico City, a neighborhood restaurant, and Lupe proudly supported Frank while he was serving his country. They spent the next 56 years together, and Lupe was still by Frank’s side when he lost his long battle with cancer.

After separating from the Army, Frank began his career as a Boilermaker and Pipe Fitter at Todd Shipyard. You could often see Frank armed with his welding torch building award winning Choppers, so it was no surprise when Frank rose through the ranks at work to become a welding engineer and inspector overseas.

Frank had the opportunity to take his wife, Lupe, and 3 sons, Eric, Roman, and Jason to work with him overseas in the city of Al Jubail in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, exposing his family to a new culture, travel, and adventure. Memorable moments from this moment in his life would include nearly stranding his family on a 4X4 ride in the Ad-Dahana Desert, or accidentally booking a hotel in the Red Light district in Amsterdam on their way back home to the USA.

Frank was always someone who was working, starting new projects, or keeping busy, and as a man who loved food, his next adventure in life steered him to become a restaurant entrepreneur, and he opened Francisco’s Mexican Food, and for the next 14 years of his life, his restaurant and bar was his passion. This was a family restaurant, and you could often see several members of Frank’s extended family working alongside him. Frank was a local pool shark at the restaurant, and as a bartender, he would always ensure that his guests felt welcomed even if their bar tab went unpaid from time to time because funds were short, or payday was another week away. Frank eventually returned to his work as a Boilermaker and Pipe Fitter, and retired from the union in 2009.

Even in retirement, Frank managed to keep himself busy, and he always had a list of projects on this “To-Do” list. Whether it be tearing out an entire kitchen with no notice just because Lupe had mentioned that she may want to redo the kitchen, or building a new chicken coop or aviary to house his ever growing collection of birds, Frank had no problem keeping himself busy. He even dug a huge hole in his backyard by hand, using nothing but shovels, which eventually housed his famous Koi pond. Between restoring Volkswagon Bugs, building batting cages for his grandchildren, or maintaining his properties, Frank was always working.

Frank’s grandchildren will never forget those magical moments when he’d trade his welding torch for a stadium seat and become the unofficial coach, commentator, and cheerleader all rolled into one. If there was a game happening, be it baseball, football, rugby, soccer, softball, or basketball, you could bet Papa was there, armed with snacks, opinions, and a voice that could drown out the referee’s whistle. He cheered with gusto, critiqued with flair, and offered unsolicited advice to every player on the field, regardless of whether they were his grandkid or someone else’s child just learning to kick a ball. Frank didn’t just attend games, he starred in the stands. And while his commentary may have been brutally honest, it was always delivered with love (and volume).

Among the heartaches Frank carried was the loss of his very first grandchild, Anna Elizabeth Garcia, who passed away far too soon. Anna’s absence was a sorrow that touched every corner of the family’s life, and he held Anna’s memory close to his heart.

Frank Garcia is survived by his wife, Lupe, and their three sons, Eric, Roman, and Jason, along with his five grandchildren, Emily, Brandon, Jaxson, Joshua, and Xavier, and two great-grandchildren, Elijah and Wyatt, along with his three brothers, Victor, Mike and Joe, and his two sisters, Cecilia and Delores. Frank was a hardworking man, and taught his children to value hard work just the same. He was a generous man who was always ready and willing to help when needed. Teddy “Frank” Garcia was loved by many and will be greatly missed.

Services will be held on Friday, September 12th at Draper Mortuary at 11:00 am. Burial service to follow at 2:00 pm at Riverside National Cemetery. Reception to follow at the Garcia Household in Ontario.