Jose "Pepe" Manuel Garcia

He was the beloved son of Ysidora Humara, who immigrated to Cuba in 1922 from Bilbao, Spain, and Manuel Garcia, who immigrated from Asturias, Spain in 1914. Raised in Havana, Jose attended the University of Havana, where he earned a Master of Science in Accounting and became a Certified Public Accountant. During his college years, at the Club Náutico de Marianao, he met Silvia - the love of his life. After a three-year courtship, they married on March 9, 1952, and shared a beautiful life together, raising two sons, Manuel and Marcelo. Jose and Silvia remained inseparable until Silvia’s passing on January 27, 2020.

Jose began his career in Cuba as an office boy at Café Pilón coffee roasters while attending college, eventually rising to the position of company treasurer through hard work and determination. Seeking new challenges, he later joined Sears, Roebuck & Co. in Cuba.

In 1960, facing the rise of Fidel Castro’s communist regime, Jose and Silvia courageously left everything behind and emigrated to the United States with their two young sons to begin a new

chapter. After many days searching for work, Jose was offered a position as an office assistant at Sears in Miami. His talent and perseverance quickly propelled him to become Controller for

Sears in Panama, Central America. Over the years, his career continued to flourish as he took on progressively larger responsibilities in Mississippi, North Carolina, and ultimately Florida. Jose retired in June 1990 after more than 34 years with Sears, serving as Controller Manager of Florida’s West Central Accounting Center, where he oversaw 27 company units, three assistant controllers, five supervisors, and more than 75 employees.

Jose was admired not only for his professional accomplishments but for his extraordinary mind. Gifted with a photographic memory and an uncanny ability to calculate complex figures in his head faster than you can do on a calculator, he was truly brilliant. Yet, his greatest gift was his warmth - everywhere he went, people were drawn to him. He loved his family deeply, cared for Silvia with unwavering devotion, and cherished every moment together. A lifelong soccer enthusiast, he never missed a chance to watch a match, especially when Spain played.

Jose is survived by his sons Manuel F. Garcia (Laida) and Marcelo Garcia (Paula); grandchildren Marcos Garcia (Jennifer), Katherine Stephens (Hunter), Marcelo D. Garcia (Sarah), Laura Garcia, and Aubrey Figler (Bryan), and great grandchildren Matthew, Ryan, Ethan, Cora, Robert, Ezra and Paxton. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Silvia, and his sister Lydia.

Jose’s life was a testament to resilience, love, and integrity. His legacy lives on in the family he adored and the countless lives he touched.

A funeral Mass will be held on Friday, January 2, at 10:00 a.m. with visitations at 9:00 a.m. at St. Paul Catholic Church, located on Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, Florida. Burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery, 11005 US-301 in Thonotosassa.

Flowers should be directed to Blount & Curry Funeral Home Carrollwood.