GARCIA, Mary J.

The Arizona Republic 3/23/2010 Mary J. Garcia, a loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, passed away in her home Tuesday, March 16 at the age of 97. Mary was born on August 8, 1912 in old town Albuquerque, New Mexico, but later moved to Arizona where she became the matriarch to three generations of native Arizona families. As a young woman, Mary played organized softball for a South Phoenix based team called "The Olympics" and drove her team to games in her Model T. She never lost her love of bats and balls, becoming an avid Arizona Diamondback fan in her late 80's. Mary worked as a maid to help her dad during the Great Depression, she also danced at the Orpheum theater at the age of 16 as a member of the Gene Bumph dance troupe. Later in life, Mary worked for JC Penney for 20 years and eventually retired there. Mary met her future husband, Archie Garcia, when she was 12 years old and married him in 1940 at the age of 24. She lived in the house Archie built for her and their son, Manuel, in South Phoenix from the mid forties, until her passing. Mary was widowed in 1977 after 36 years of marriage, but remained instrumental to her family, helping her son raise his three children after the untimely death of their mother in 1978. Mary was a spirited & very independent woman, driving around town until her early 80's and living alone until just two years ago. She is survived by her son Manuel Garcia (Irene), her granddaughters, Anne Johns Thorne (Jay), Christina Garcia, and her grandson Jon Garcia. She also had her great grandsons Levi Johns (Anne) and Archie Garcia (Jon). She was predeceased by her other great grandson Joshua Tucker Johns (Anne). Services for Mary will be at St. Gregory's Catholic Church, 19th Ave. & Osborn, on Friday March 26th: 9:15am Rosary, 10am Funeral Mass, interment is at noon @ St. Francis Cemetery, 48th St. & Oak. In lieu of flowers send donations to Hospice of the Valley.