Andrew F. Garcia

Andy is loved and cherished by us and many others. He was a wonderful father because at 90 he still was our mentor, part of our inter strength, and he left us a great legacy. He made us strong to endure life, he taught us how to find happiness in the face of disaster, he made us challenge ourselves when we were uncomfortable, he taught us to be honest, caring, to have dignity, and to always value yourself. Our dad shared his love, his wisdom, his will to love life and all it brings. He has had many peaks and valleys, highlights and adventures in his 90 years of life, more than most of us. He lived everyday with passion to do his best and to be happy. He is now on his journey into somewhere we will all meet again. A Little Bit About Him Andrew Florentine Garcia was born on October 16, 1923 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to his parents Victor Bueno Ventura Garcia and Louisa Holguin. They had 6 children; Victor, Crusita, Andrew (our dad), Carmen, Joe & Louie. His paternal grandparents were from Pena Blanca, NM, his maternal grandparents were from Spain. The youngest child Louie, was 3 months old, and dad was 6 years old when their dad passed away. All the children helped with what they could and to their accomplishment all six of them graduated from high school. Dad said he always worked and bought his 1st car in 1941, it was a 1936 Ford. He still has a love for cars and owns many. He loved to swim and was a lifeguard, he loved to dance and won many contests, he loved to play pool and won many tournaments and he love to try to win at the horse races. He joined the Coast Guard right after high school, married in 1949, had six children of his own. When his wife passed away in 1968 he gathered his 6 children and kept them close to him in good times and bad. In 1974 he opened his first restaurant in Albuquerque, he now has seven all in Albuquerque, plus a catering and tent rental business. He was one of he guys who defined what we call New Mexican food. He had many hardships in his entrepreneurial life but got up and tried again and again. Andy was a humble and honest man. He helped those who tried to help themselves. He believed in the working man and always paid his bills. He was flamboyant, friendly and a very colorful guy. Andy began in business 50 years ago, originally sold balloons at parades and food and novelties at fairs and carnivals, then founded Garcia's Tents and Events and eventually seven Garcia's Kitchens throughout Albuquerque. Garcia's tent business has been a staple at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for decades. Most of the restaurants remain open on Thanksgiving because as he often said " Not everyone has family and I want our door open to them. If a person wanted a hand out he would ask them if they wanted to do some work and he would help them. There are many stories he shared with his children that showed what a full life he led. " He is truly an icon in the community. " In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to theAlbuquerque food bank http://rrfb.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1090514&lis=0&kntae1090514=301CE786F660472C8B564935E5785879&supId=40653850 or to the MS society, http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/e-eindustries