Allen R. Dr. Garcia

On January 16, 2017, at the age of 81 years old, Dr. Allen R. Garcia passed away peacefully surrounded by his family. He was born in Monterrey, Mexico on September 2, 1935 to Dorothy Rather and Manuel Garcia. Upon finishing medical school in Mexico, he came to San Antonio in 1957 to complete his internship at Robert B. Green Hospital and then a residency at Scott and White Hospital in Temple, Texas where he specialized in Internal Medicine and Clinical Cardiology.

Allen married his sweetheart, Myrthala, in 1961. They enjoyed 56 years of travel, fine wines and culinary experiences. Allen was a wonderful husband and father to four children and led a selfless career full of compassion, dedication and true commitment. He was an extraordinary individual who never met a stranger.

In 1969, he joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Ft. Sill, OK where he met many lifelong friends. He served as a Lt. Colonel and was honorably discharged in 1971. He then resumed his private practice in San Antonio where he enjoyed a long standing career of 60 years. His dedication and passion to medicine kept him young at heart. So much so that he refused to retire and was still practicing at the time of his death. In his words, "Retirement is a time to do what you love. I already do what I love, so how can I retire?" His story isn't complete without mentioning 2 remarkable individuals who also shared his passion for serving others. They dedicated 40+ years of their life to him and his practice. Everyone knows them as the dynamic duo of "Mary and Irma." They were the energy that allowed him to do what he did best.

Dr. Garcia was a member of many organizations throughout his career. He served as Chief of Staff of the Baptist Memorial Hospital in 1981 and was President of the Medical Executive Board in 1982. He was also a member of the Bexar County Medical Society and a Member of the American Medical Association. He served as President of the Board of Trustees on the Baptist Memorial Hospital PHO in 2011.

Allen will be deeply missed by so many. The family offers their sincere gratitude for the support they have received from family, friends and the multitude of patients who loved him dearly.

Allen was preceded in death by his parents, Dorothy and Manuel. He is survived by his wife, Myrthala of 56 years and their four children: Manuel & his wife Leslee, Veronica & her husband Luis, Allen & his wife Laura and Claudia & her husband Matthew; his 14 grandchildren: Blaine, Alex, Wilson, Emma, Sean, Christopher, Jakob, Emerson, Briana, Andres, Olivia, Mateo, Tate & Eamon. He is also survived by his siblings, Julieta Garcia de Urena, Manuel Dean & Marylou Michels.

A memorial service is being held on Saturday, January 21, 2017 at 3pm at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 223 E. Summit Ave. Reception immediately following at church hall.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests memorial gifts to the Lymphoma & Leukemia Society (www.lls.org) or the American Heart Association (www.heart.org)