Carmen L. Garci­a

1929 - 2016

Carmen was born and raised in Durango, Durango, Mexico on July 16, 1929. As a teenager, she moved to Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, where she met and married her husband, Antonio R. García. They moved to Arvin, California to start and raise a family, and they continued to live in the Arvin community for most of their lives until moving to Bakersfield during the last 15 years.

Carmen led a full and active life. She was a homemaker who devoted her life to helping others. She was very proud of her accomplishments and her family. Friends quoted her as stating that one of the best things she had accomplished was raising a strong family. Music filled her life, as did unconditional love. She was willing to sacrifice so that her children could improve their education.

For most of her life, Carmen was very active with her church, St. Thomas Catholic Church in Arvin. Even after moving to Bakersfield, she continued to be active with St. Thomas. She was a member of the choir and was always singing at church events. She volunteered at fundraisers and will be remembered for the numerous empanadas she baked for sales. If someone needed assistance, she was there to help.

Carmen was a loving, caring, strong woman. She was a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She passed away on January 31, 2016 with her family present. She is survived by her loving husband, Antonio R. García of Bakersfield, her son, Antonio L. García, MD, and his children, Matthew and Alessandra. She is also survived by her daughter, Guadalupe Quiñónez, her husband, Jaime Quiñónez, and their children, Ariana, Cruz, and Elisa. She is also survived by her son, Francisco L. García, MD of Sacramento and his wife, Carolina Luevanos García, their son, Nicolás, their daughter, Olivia, and her son Avi. The last of her siblings to pass away, she is now reunited with her brothers and sisters whom she loved dearly, but she has left numerous nephews, nieces, in-laws, and friends behind to remember her.

We would like to thank Optimal Hospice, her nurses Robert and Juanita and her aides Dolores and Ruby. We would like to give special thanks to Mirna Guzmán for her loving care and companionship.

Visitation will be on Friday, February 5, 2016 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Basham Funeral Care (3312 Niles Street) a Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church (1515 Baker Street). Interment will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Park (9101 Kern Canyon Rd.). For additional information please contact Basham Funeral Care at 873-8200.