Garcia, Dolores
1925-2016 Our precious Dolores (Lola) Garcia, age 91, of Los Lunas, NM, peacefully passed away at home on Friday, December 2, 2016.
Dolores was born in Belen, NM, on March 20, 1925, to Filipita and Carlos B. Garcia. She was the eldest of five children. Her mother passed away when she was 16 years old. With the help of her aunt, Maria Chavez, Dolores raised her four siblings. She attended elementary school at St. Mary’s and graduated from Belen High School. She attended business school in Santa Fe, NM. Upon returning to Belen, she did secretarial work at a legal firm and soon was employed with the Human Services Department for state of New Mexico, as a secretary and was soon promoted to secretary supervisor for 35 years. Dolores was well respected and admired by her colleagues. She was never married, but was considered a second mom by her 17 nieces and nephews. Upon retirement, Dolores became active in the Belen chapter of St. Vincent de Paul. She was an officer for 14 years and attended many local, state, and national conferences, many times speaking at the events. Dolores worked at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store once a week, made home visits, evaluating the client’s situation to assist them. Until recently she would go once a month to assist the thrift store in Belen. One of Dolores’s greatest honors was being named one of the Valencia County’s "Unsung Hero’s" in 2006 because of her work with St. Vincent de Paul. She was a devout Catholic, delivering Communion to the homebound until she no longer could drive due to cataracts. Dolores loved to travel across the US as well as Mexico and Europe. She felt very blessed to visit Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Portugal. Dolores especially loved Hawaii and going on cruises. Alaska was one of her favorites. Most weekends you would find her at a family gathering, whether it be a birthday party, wedding, or just get togethers. Dolores never missed a party! She was very happy when her family and friends visited her at the hospital and at home where she was placed in Hospice. Dolores was a very sweet, caring, sister, friend, and aunt loved by all. Lola will be greatly missed.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Felipita and Carlos B. Garcia; grandparents, Maria Dolores and Pedro Chavez y Castillo, and Priscialiana Baca and Antonio Garcia y Gabaldon; brothers, Lawrence and Orlando Garcia; brother-in-law, Bennie Sanchez; great-niece, Dominica Urtiaga; and greatnephew, Dakota Dalton. Dolores is survived byer her sisters, Ursula Sanchez, Eva (Bernard) Sanchez; sister-in-law, Erlinda Garcia; nieces and nephews, Marti (Jeff) Have-Perry, Jeanette Garcia, Michael Sanchez, Dori (Pete) Nichols, Elley Lifke, Cyndi (Paul) Bleicher, Barbara Sanchez, Charles Sanchez, Debbie Long, Marilyn Sanchez, Beverly Sanchez, Richard Garcia, Kathy (Andrew) Urtiaga, Lydia (Brett) Dalton, Dennis (Donna) Garcia, Dora Garcia, and Lawrence (Janine) Garcia. She is also survived by many great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the caring Doctors, Nurses, and Nurse Techs of the APC 2 unit on the 7th floor at Presbyterian Hospital. Thank you to the hospice Nurse, Pam and home health aide, Sharon. A world of gratitude to her wonderful, loving, caregivers, Concha, Dora, Emily, Evangeline, Frances, Lala, Maria, Sarah, and Valerie.
All Services will be held at San Clemente Catholic Church in Los Lunas. A Viewing will be held at 6:30 p.m., with a Rosary to be recited at 7:30 p.m., on Sunday, December 4, 2016. A Final Viewing will begin at 9:30 a.m., with a Funeral Mass to be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, December 5, 2016. Interment will begin at 2:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Memorial Gardens. Please sign Dolores’s online tribute at romerofuneralhomenm.com Romero Funeral Home, 609 N. Main St. Belen, NM.