Joseph Leroy Garcia

Joe spent his final days at his home, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Josie Garcia; his two children, Lisa Garcia & Joseph Garcia; his two grandchildren, Christina Kimball & Michael Kimball; his three Great Grandchildren, Adriano Garcia, Lydia Diaz and Sofia Kimball; and his siblings, brother Julian Garcia and his wife Glenda, sister Beatrice Gabaldon and her husband Delfine, brother Michael Garcia and his wife Annabelle, brother Lawrence Garcia and his wife Emma, & sister Anna Pudelek and her husband Patrick. He is preceded in death by his parents Leo & Leonor Garcia; and siblings Nino Garcia, Gene Garcia, and Raymond Garcia.

He was born in Belen New Mexico, where he grew up on the family farm. In his formative years, Joe was active in school and the community, serving as class president, as well as the president of the local Future Farmers of America chapter. After Joe graduated from Belen High School in 1962, he joined the United States Air Force and served as a KC-135 Maintenance Technician and was stationed at Castle Air Force Base in Merced California. It was there in Merced, at a Mexican Dance, that he would meet his future wife, Josie. The two married in Reno Nevada on September 5th, 1964, and after leaving the Air Force, Joe moved to Barstow California to work for the Santa Fe Railroad. There he worked as a Machinist, while also becoming the Secretary Treasurer of the local chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Joe loved to keep busy and had very strong work ethic. He loved to work with his hands and was known as the type of guy who could fix anything. Whether it was a car or a home or anything in between, there was nothing that he could not tackle. In retirement he took up woodworking, building cabinets and furniture for friends and family. Joe was also an intellectual who had a zeal for knowledge and learning, and could talk for hours about science, technology, politics, and current events.

He loved cooking and eating. Over the years he opened his home to many family and friends, where he will be remembered for his delicious grilling and the many holiday feasts he cooked which included a big table with lots of food, desserts, and cocktails surrounded with love and laughter. While he loved many types of food from gourmet to burgers, he stayed true to his roots, with beans, rice and New Mexico green chili as his favorites. In his later years his favorite pastimes were watching movies, listening to music, and playing games on his computer, usually doing all 3 at the same time.

Overall, Joe was a family man who worked tirelessly to provide a loving and comfortable home for his wife and family. He had a fondness for children and always took time to be involved with his family and their friends. He helped coach their soccer and baseball teams, helped with homework and school projects, and always encouraged that they do their best in school and life. He will be fondly remembered for his friendly way of making everyone feel at home, silly dad jokes, countless hours of playing in the pool, family vacations, trips to amusement parks where he’d always ride the big roller coasters, and baseball & football games. He was an ardent sports fan, known for his passion for the Los Angeles Angels and San Francisco 49ers, a passion which he shared and has been taken up by his family.

But more than anything, he was a kind, thoughtful, patient and gentle man, whom many confided in. No matter who you were, he always made you feel welcome and part of the family. He had a positive outlook on life and was a friend to all, never speaking negatively of anyone and always willing to lend a helping hand and just make someone smile. He will always be remembered for his generosity, his joyous nature, his commitment to family, and all the love he provided. May he rest in peace, and may his family and friends find comfort in the memories of joy, positivity and comfort he brought to their lives.

Per his request, there will be no funeral services. And in lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you consider donating to one of the following charities; the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research @ https://www.michaeljfox.org; or the American Heart Association @ https://www.heart.org

Mead mortuary (A Dignity Memorial Provider) has been serving the high desert community since 1963. For those families looking to memorialize their family member in a local cemetery we would like to recommend one of our 3 sister locations here in the high desert.