Lane, I have put off writing about your Happy because I did not know if I was ready to talk about him yet. My heart is in pieces when I think about you never meeting him. He would have loved you so much. He always talked about his future grandbabies and how they would be spoiled rotten. Trust me, he would have bought you all the newest, greatest, and latest toys you could want. I cannot imagine what his giant Christmas tree would look like on Christmas now that you are here. There would be presents EVERYWHERE. He loved Christmas. He would have added all of your homemade ornaments up there each year... right up there next to all of mine. I kept a few of his firefighter ornaments to put on our tree every year just so we can take the time to talk about him as we decorate the tree.
Growing up with your Happy was such a whirlwind. There were so many ups and downs. He definitely got better with age. When we were young he was so serious, but as he got older I could see such a big difference. He would hug me longer, pull me closer, and constantly remind me how proud he was of me. And I will never forget how good those words felt coming out of his mouth.
Your Happy was a firefighter in Wichita Falls, Texas for 30 years. He loved the fire department. We always knew what to buy him for his birthday-- something firefighter. He loved helping people. He always just wanted to do more. He was also an EMT. He rode in the ambulances, too. After some time he started teaching at Vernon College. He taught the fire EMS/EMT classes. When Happy died he was in the middle of making a lab at Vernon College that he was given a grant for. He never got to finish the lab but his friends/co-workers finished the lab and named a dummy after him. Every year Vernon College gives away an "Al Garcia Scholarship." He was a big part of that team and they miss him very much.
We have so many home videos of your Happy teaching me how to swim from when I was little. At your Happy's house he had a pool with a diving board. I would have loved to sit there on the patio under his huge umbrella watching him tell you to kick, kick, kick trying to teach you to swim! I could see him treading water in the deep end and telling you to jump off the diving board to him. You would have had so much fun with him. I just know it.
Every holiday that passes I have a little moment where I get sad wishing he could be there. He would be throwing you in the air and listen to laugh and giggle. I get a huge frog in my throat thinking about how he will never get to buy you a heart full of reeses peanut butter cups (his favorite) for valentine's, never get to see you in any of your Easter dresses, put sun block on you in the summers, see you in your Halloween costumes, cook you ham on thanksgiving, or even watch you open a Christmas present. I makes me so sad to think about all the stuff that he never will get to be a part of.
Even though he is not here I think he is. Right now you do this really weird thing that freaks us all out. You always stare into the corner and smile and laugh. There is NOTHING in this corner. No lights, no movement, NOTHING, but you like to stare over there and smile. Sometimes you can be screaming your head off and you just look over there and start laughing. I think it is your Happy. I think he comes to visit you every day. It is the most peculiar thing. I just smile and say, "Hey Dad!" because it has to be him. I also like to think that when you smile and laugh while you are sleeping, Happy comes down from Heaven to play with you in your dreams. Thinking things like this help me get through him not being here, because he really is not missing out on anything. He is just here in a different way.
Visitation will be Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012 from 5 to 7 p.m., with a rosary to begin at 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.
Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 5,2012 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Jack McKone, Celebrant, followed by a funeral procession led by the Wichita Falls Fire Department (WFFD) and Patriot Honor Guard to his final resting place at Crestview Memorial Park.
Mr. Garcia was born Nov. 22, 1956 to Joe A. Garcia and Patsy M. (Mauricio) Garcia in Wichita Falls. He was raised in Fort Worth. He graduated from Trimble Technical High School in 1975, then, enlisted in the Air Force. After an honorable discharge, he joined the WFFD in 1980, and retired from WFFD in 2010 as a Lieutenant/Paramedic, after 30 years of service. He currently was employed at Vernon College as their Fire/EMS Training Program Director, along with having served as the director of the North Texas Regional Advisory Council, EMSAT board member, GETAC committee member, and served on the board of the Children’s Home.
Mr. Garcia was a member of the Mavericks, Knights of Columbus, and Sacred Heart Church.
Mr. Garcia was preceded in death by his Grandmother Caterina Beltran.
Mr. Garcia was survived by his children Alejandro (“Ponch”) Garcia II, and wife Amber; Ali Hopper, and husband Brandon; Lexi Garcia and Alex Garcia; Father Joe A. Garcia; Mother Patsy M. Garcia; Sisters Anna Marie Garcia, Patricia Caro and husband Jorge, and Josephine Wells; Brothers Pedro and Phillip; and Grandmother Petra Meza.
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