Rose M. Garcia

ROSE MARIE GARCIA was born on May 5th 1927 in Follansbee West Virginia to John and Palmina Mazzella who immigrated to the United States from Italy. She was the 3rd born in a family of 4 girls and one boy. At the age of three, her family’s house burned down so she went to live with her Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim until her family could recover from the tragedy but she never returned to her family and her Aunt and Uncle raised her along with their son Luke.

When Rose was 13 her Aunt decided she should learn a trade and got her a job in a tailor shop. She worked every day after school and on Saturdays until High School where she got a job in a department store which she loved because she could display the merchandise and wrap beautiful packages.

At the age of 18, Rose was to be a bride’s maid in her sister’s wedding and her sister asked if there was anyone she would like to have escort her down the aisle. At that moment, Rose saw Jack walking pass the house and joked to her sister that she would love to have Jack be her escort. She left and didn’t think of it again until that night at 5pm Jack called her and asked if he could come over and visit. When Rose opened the door, their eyes met and they both said years later they could have married at that moment.

On October 5, 1946 they were married, Rose always said when she married Jack her life began.

They moved to California in 1948 where Jack learned the flooring trade. In 1949, Rose gave birth to their son Bill and in 1953 Carol was born. In the same year, Jack and Rose decided to buy a Floor covering business so they could work together.

Working together was something that Jack and Rose were very good at and in 1957 they built a home in Arcadia where they spent their remaining years. Rose was a great home maker and loved cooking sewing and decorating the house for every holiday. She especially loved Christmas. Rose was always taking photos and making photo albums. She had many hobbies but her real passion was music. She always had music playing and would sing along.

Jack passed away in 1981 when Rose was 53. She spent the rest of her life attending club meetings, traveling with her friends and family, taking organ and calligraphy classes and enjoying her grandchildren Michael and Cristina. She wrote her memoirs and she complied a book of her favorite sayings in calligraphy. She always said how blessed she was to have such great friends and family. Rose never wanted to remarry and said she could never replace Jack, so it was fitting that she passed away on their Wedding Anniversary on Oct 5, 2014.