Santos Garcia, 64, of Greenville, passed away April 27, 2011 in Medical Center of McKinney. Services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home Chapel with Deacon Lee Davis officiating. Interment will follow at Caddo Mills IOOF Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 PM to 7:00 PM Friday at the funeral home with a rosary following at 7:00 PM.
Born March 27, 1947, Santos was born in Greenville to Florentino and Trine (Pecina) Garcia. He was employed as a testing coordinator at Paris Junior College, and he was a member of St. Williams Catholic Church.
Santos received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from East Texas State University in Commerce. He has taught in Beaumont and was teaching in Venus before becoming a long-time faculty member at Hill College in Hillsboro for many years before moving home to Greenville. He leaves dear friends behind from that school that will sorely miss him.
Santos was in the first group to be hired as full-time faculty at Paris Junior College’s Greenville Center. For 13 years he taught Office Technology and Computer Information Services courses at the PJC Greenville Center. He was currently working in the Testing Center at PJC for the last two years.
Santos received the highest honor of teaching in 2008 from Paris Junior College. He was named Master Teacher. The Master Teacher is nominated by faculty; a committee evaluates the nominees according to a set of specified criteria and selects the recipient. Dr. Anglin noted Garcia’s dedication to students and to his work in the classroom, and credited his dedication for helping make the PJC Greenville Center the student-friendly place it is today.
After a 9 month battle in multiple hospitals with West Nile Virus, Mr. Garcia lost his ability to walk, but he never lost his smile and love of family, friends, and students. He will be remembered for his love of cooking which he shared generously with everyone. Most students at PJC Greenville Center have been privileged to share in many meals that he provided for the entire student body.
He has a true love for music, especially marching bands. He also had a great respect for the Kilgore Rangerettes, Greenville High School football and band competitions. He played flute, clarinet and saxophone in the GHS band. His love of performance led him to serve on the Follies Board of Directors for several years and the great delight of performing in a Follies show with his dance partner, Norma Kusewitt.
Santos also served on the Board of Directors of the local library where he made many friends.
Survivors include his brothers Lupe Garcia and wife Lupia of Rockwall, Inez Garcia of Greenville and Johnny Garcia and wife Alice of Celeste; sisters Ramona Gonzales and husband Iosbel and Susie Shanks and husband Walter all of Greenville; several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, four brothers Cruz, Erasmo, Paul, and Jesse Garcia; and sister-in-law Guadalupe Garcia.
Pallbearers will be Roy Dixon, Thomas Vega, Michael Abrego, Manuel Abrego, Jr., Danny Ray Bowman, and Dominique Matlock.
In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be made to the American Kidney Foundation, 5429 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, Tx 75240-2617.
