Carlos Biel Garcia

Carlos' life began on April 14, 1947 in Badalona, Catalonia, Spain. As an infant, the family moved to Chile, where Carlos' uncle had a vineyard, and his father found employment there. The family later received a call from his father's sister in Cuba, summoning them to come join her in Havana for personal reasons.

Carlos always said that the happiest days of his life were in Cuba. In 1959, however, this idyllic life came to a screeching halt when Fidel Castro became the Communist dictator of Cuba.

In 1961, Carlos' parents made the most difficult decision of their lives, deciding to send their only child to live in freedom in the United States, made possible by the U.S. Department of State and the Catholic Charities of Miami, Florida. This program was called Operation Pedro Pan.

The night before the flight, his parents told Carlos that he was going on a vacation to the U.S. by himself. Carlos was assigned to Kendall Camp, an old Army barrack in Miami. In 1964, a loving family in San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Fernando and Mrs. Delia Martinez and their adorable children, Cynthia, Sylvia, and Mark David, applied to be a foster family for Carlos. Now, he finds himself in a country where the language is completely foreign. Here, he attended school and graduated from Edison High School in 1966. His parents finally arrived from Cuba, and Carlos attended San Antonio College and received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1973 from Our Lady of the Lake University. While working at Santa Rosa Hospital, as a Human Resources manager, Carlos met and fell in love with a beautiful coworker, Otila "Tillie" Alfaro. They married and had a bouncing baby boy, Carlos II, in 1977. The marriage ended in divorce.

Carlos worked as a Life Insurance Agent for Prudential Insurance Company, and in the 80's, opened his agency with Farmers Insurance, where he remained until his retirement in 2012.

Carlos is survived by his wife of 34 years, Anna; his three children, Carlos II; spouse, Erica; Jessica; spouse, Jorge Herrera; and Andres; spouse, Sarah. Also, beloved grandchildren, Jordi Biel Garcia and Leo Biel Garcia; Mila Victoria Herrera and Diego Herrera; half-sister, Maribel Garcia, of Spain; nephew, Daryl, of Miami, Florida; brother-in-law, Robert Gonzalez; and spouse, Mingfang, of Leander, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jose M. Garcia, from Galicia, Spain; and Pilar Biel, from Badalona, Spain; and his aunt, Isabel Bermudez Garcia, from Cuba and Cuernavaca, Mexico.

The family would like to thank the ER and the MICU doctors, nurses, and staff at the University Hospital for their compassionate care during his two week stay there. We would also like to thank all of our family, friends, and neighbors for their support and prayers.

Carlos loved the music of the 50's and 60's, his Cuban arroz con pollo and his Cuban sandwiches were the BEST! His greatest joy was his family, who meant the world to him. He was so thrilled to return to his birthplace in Spain a few years back. Most people remember him as a jokester with a most generous heart. Carlos will be desperately missed by those he has left behind. He truly was one of a kind, and to be loved by him was to be truly blessed. Please have a cold Michelob Ultra in his memory.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital or Catholic Charities of San Antonio.

MEMORIAL SERVICEFRIDAY, MARCH 24, 20231:00 PMPORTER LORING MORTUARY WEST1710 W LOOP 1604 NLocated near Sea World