Mary Elizabeth Garcia, age 96, passed away peacefully on May 12, 2024 under the care of the wonderful nurses, staff and volunteers at the Alexander Cohen Hospice House. She had lived on her own all her life until her health started failing three months before her death.
Mary was born on 3/17/28 to John and Mary Mendes and raised in Hilmar, California, on a small family dairy. Mary was the second oldest of eight siblings. She attended Fairview School through the eighth grade and graduated from Hilmar High School in 1946. Mary married Robert [Bob] Garcia on June 24, 1950 and they were the second couple to be married at the original Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hilmar. They raised four children, Beverly, Diana, Sharon, and David. Their yearly family vacations to Santa Cruz were highly-anticipated events they all looked forward to having and she treasured those memories.
Mary loved to talk about growing up with her four brothers and three sisters on a dairy farm in Hilmar and of all of the occasions they shared with their many cousins, aunts, and uncles in the tightly-knit Portuguese extended family. One especially interesting memory was when Mary was a teenager and helped in the war effort [World War II] by making flares at a factory in Hilmar.
Mary started working at Elim Elementary School in Hilmar after the death of her husband Bob in 1965 as an instructional/library aide until her retirement in June 1990. Mary loved doing things with her siblings, especially her sisters. She was also an avid San Francisco Giants fan and watched all their games on television. Mary loved playing bingo whenever she could and always looked forward to gambling at Black Oak Casino with her friends. Mary was a charter member of Holy Rosary Young Ladies Institute in Hilmar.
Mary is Survived by Daughters Beverly Garcia-Garst (Mike), Diana Ryan (Pat), Sharon Garcia Hazer (Eric) and Son David Garcia, Grandchildren Heather Garst Orosco (Mike), Jerod Garst (Janice), Shane Garst (Jayme), Theron Garst (Thavy), Cameron Hazer, Corey Hazer, and Erin Todd (John); Great Grandchildren Grace Cardoso, Elio Cardoso, Addison Garst, Payton Garst, Caden Garst, Cheyenne Garst, Matai Garst, Lily Van Bedford and Jolie Garst.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents John and Mary Mendes, brothers John Mendes, Tony Mendes, Joe Mendes, Albert Mendes, and sisters Elvera George, Frances Jepson and Elsie Nunes.
Rosary and Mass will be held at 10:00am on Thursday, May 30th at the Holy Rosary Catholic Mission Church, 8471 Cypress Street, Hilmar, with burial immediately following at North Hilmar Cemetery, 8710 Tegner Road, Hilmar.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Mary may be made to Community Hospice Foundation, 4368 Spyres Way, Modesto, CA 95350, or your favorite charity.
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