Elisa Garcia

Lifelong San Fernando Valley resident and children’s advocate Elisa Garcia died peacefully in her sleep at her San Fernando home, surrounded by family and friends, on Tuesday, November 1, 2011. She was 53.

Born in Los Angeles on March 24, 1958, Garcia was passionate about children, having earned an associate in arts degree in child development from Mission College in Sylmar.

Throughout her life, she held many teaching and directors' positions with Valley-based childcare centers, including Headstart, Guadalupe Youth Center, and Santa Rosa Center, among others. She adored children and they where instantly drawn to her. She had a gift for capturing their attention, enthralling them with arts, music, reading and play to nurture an untold number of confident and happy childhoods.

She was also an expert in working with children who have special needs, especially autism, having spent more than a decade becoming skilled in helping them progress, notably a nephew and a godson.

A member of Santa Rosa Church in San Fernando for more than 25 years, she was involved in its Youth Ministry, choir and taught Catechism classes.

Garcia was also the heart of her family, often the leader in organizing family functions and chronicling the milestones of the Garcia and del Olmo clans.

She was particularly close with her late brother, Frank del Olmo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times journalist. She was a devoted caregiver to her late uncle Joe Torres, her late aunt Hope Torres and her late aunt Ramona Rojas, all from the San Fernando Valley. Other beloved deceased family members whose memories she cherished include her mother, Margaret del Olo, and brother Rey Garcia.

Survivors are: her only child, a daughter, Navy Officer CTI1 Uschi Garcia Williams (husband, Sam) of Evans, Georgia; sister Teresa Previtire of Sylmar; sister Margie Maldonado (husband Richard) of Quartz Hill; brother Gabriel Garcia of Tujunga; aunt Juana Mares of San Fernando; and father Reyes Garcia (stepmother Maria) of Reseda.

Her nieces and nephews are: Valentina del Olmo of Menlo Park; Joseph Previtire of Sylmar; Christopher Previtire of Valencia (wife Irina); Xochitl Fisher (husband, David) of Sonoma; Joshua Maldonado of Quartz Hill; and Francisco Beltran del Olmo of Glendale.

Her only grandson is Faolan Rhys Noah Garcia Williams of Evans, Georgia. Her godsons are: Danny Vega-Smith and Tony Vega-Smith of Mission Hills; and Ricky Vega of Valencia.

A rosary will be held Monday, November 7, at 7 p.m. at Oswald Mortuary in San Fernando. The funeral mass will be held at Santa Rosa Church, San Fernando, on Tuesday, November 8 at 10:30 a.m.

Arrangements under the direction of Funeraria del Angel J.T. Oswald, San Fernando, CA.