Juanita Valdez Garcia

1938 - 2024

JUANITA VALDEZ GARCIA

September 1, 1938 – June 19, 2024

Juanita's beautiful life began on September 1st, 1938. She was the youngest of 12 children born to Librado and Natividad Valdez. She was born and raised in Bakersfield, California where she attended local schools and was in the graduating class of 1957 at East Bakersfield High School. In April 1960, she married her one true love, Tony Garcia. They were married for 47 years until his passing in 2008. Together they were blessed with their one and only son, Anthony Garcia, with whom they both adored and raised him to be a kind and loving man. Anthony blessed them with the gift of two beautiful grandchildren, Emilio and Isabella.

Juanita, along with her husband truly enjoyed watching their son excel in everything he did. She was his biggest fan and cheerleader as he began his competitive swimming career which spanned from 1967 to 1982, including his college years. She would travel wherever his sport would take him and was always very proud of all of his accomplishments.

Juanita was always ready and willing to help or volunteer wherever needed. She was a den mother for Cub Scouts and a troop leader for Girl Scouts at Longfellow Elementary School, where the children loved and respected her. She was selected as Mother of the Year for La Tolteca Club at East High in 1978, when her son was a senior, even though he wasn't in the club. This is another great example of how everyone loved her genuine kindness.

It was obvious to all that Juanita loved life. She loved being a part of a huge family and enjoyed gathering with all. She was an amazing cook and loved sharing her recipes with the family. Everyone's favorite dish she prepared was her chicken mole, no one else made it better. She loved deep sea fishing and also had the opportunity to go on an amazing cruise with her niece and nephew, Denise and Steve Shubert. She always had a beautiful smile on her face and was considered by many to be the Matriarch of our family. She knew the history of our family and had many stories to share with us. She was always proud of her family and all they accomplished throughout the years.She also had two very dear lifelong friends, Venette Gannon and Margaret Ursin, that she considered family as well.

In life, she would eventually be touched by cancer. Even so, she remained positive and fought a long challenging battle. Her family would do whatever was necessary to take the very best care of her and she always received their care with a smile on her face. The sweetest words to hear from her were "I love you" because you knew she meant it from the bottom of her heart. Throughout all of this, her nephew and niece, John and Diane Duran, would unselfishly be her ultimate caregivers. For that, we are extremely grateful.

Juanita was preceded in death by her husband, Tony, parents Librado and Natividad and 10 of her siblings. She is survived by her son, Anthony, grandchildren, Emilio and Isabella and her only remaining sibling, MaryLou Solano. She also leaves behind several Godchildren and many, many nieces and nephews and numerous friends.

We would like to thank Dr. Ravi Patel at CBCC for his unwavering and professional care over the years. We would also like to thank the nurses and staff at Hoffmann Hospice for her care and the wonderful nurses and staff at Hoffmann Hospice Home who treated her with the loving care she deserved.

Juanita's rosary and mass will take place on Monday, July 1st, 2024 at 9:00am at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1515 Baker Street, 93305. Burial will follow at Greenlawn Cemetery, 3700 River Blvd., 93305, followed by a luncheon at St. Joseph Parish Hall.

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