Manuel Garcia

Manuel M. Garcia died peacefully on September 26th at the Family Care Hospice in Casa Grande. He was born on May 28, 1916 in San Jose. He lived a full life, traveling as a young man on the rails. He stopped traveling when he met his love of his life, Natalia Burrell. They wed on October 24th , 1940. They were married fifty nine years when Natalia passed away in 1999. Manuel worked for Phelps Dodge for thirty years, retiring in 1970. He and Natalia enjoyed retirement traveling to Europe, Australia, Mexico and to the eastern United States. He enrolled in classes at Eastern Arizona College and discovered he had a talent for oil painting, woodworking and stained glass. Many of his paintings grace family members walls. Manuel was a regular at the Safford Senior Citizen Center and at the Dorothy Powell Senior Center in Casa Grande. He loved to play cards, shoot pool and travel to the casinos to play poker. He will be always known as Rocky. He was a loving father to Ronald Garcia, Sylvia Hutton and Rosalie Beasley. He was a doting grandfather to Daniela Naranjo, Martin Naranjo, Carlos Garcia, Miguel Garcia, Kimberly Beasley and Christopher Beasley. He was a caring great-grandfather to Stormy Naranjo, Kerena Naranjo, Jade Naranjo, and Lila Beasley. He was preceded in death by his father Espiridion Garcia, his mother Catalina Garcia, his wife Natalia Garcia, his brother Frank Garcia and sisters, Carmela Maldonado, Dora Orozco, Artemisa Espinoza. Mass of a Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 2, 2010, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Safford. Friends may call on Friday October 1, 2010 from 6-8 p.m. at St. Rose, with Rosary being recited at 7 p.m. Interment will be in the Thatcher Cemetery.