He was a good man who lived his life in service to others. Jorge Garcia was an unusually kind and thoughtful person who spent more than 25 years providing comfort and kindness to students in the Hays school district. He saved countless students from dropping out, giving them the courage to try one more time, and he retrieved many who had already disappeared. He posted his phone number on the wall in the Communities in Schools (CIS) office.
At Hays High, the large clock on his wall always marked the wrong time, giving students the idea that time was of no concern when they needed to talk to him. Beginning his career in education as a teacher at Hays High, Garcia was plucked from the classroom by Principal Chris Hines to join the counseling staff so he could reach more students. He also served as counselor at Lehman High School and at Wallace Middle School before returning to Hays.
Delivered by Dr. T.C. McCormick in the Buda Clinic December 8, 1958, Garcia died February 27, 2020.
Always willing to serve his neighbors and his community, Garcia was on the Uhland city council from 1999 to 2001. He was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Kyle and was a member of Knights of Columbus. He ushered at the church and helped with the annual fiesta. He also served as a Eucharistic minister for the homebound.
Jorge is survived by his wife of 21 years, Allison Hogle Garcia, and his two children Gabriella Mercedes (Jose Garibay) and Anthony Howard and granddaughter Leah Juliet. He is also survived by his brother Juan Garcia (Alice) and his sister Rosa Maria Garcia, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. His parents Ambrosio and Juliana Tapia Garcia predeceased him.
A 1977 graduate of Hays High School, Garcia earned a B.S. in Agriculture Science from SWT before he earned his M.Ed. in Counseling at Prairie View A&M.
Visitation will be 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, at Los Angeles Funeral Home in San Marcos. Rosary will follow at 7 p.m. The funeral will be at St. Anthony’s Marie de Claret Catholic Church in Kyle at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Interment will be in St. Michael’s Cemetery in Uhland.