ROSENDO GARCIA

ROSENDO GARCIA

Aug. 26, 1957 Dec. 27, 2022

Rosendo Guerrero Garcia, commonly known as Rusty, passed away peacefully due to health issues surrounded by family on December 27, 2022, at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, CA.

Rusty was a lifelong Brawley resident, born on August 26, 1957, to his parents, Rosendo M. and Graciela Garcia. He married, Guadalupe (Lupe) Flores on May 14, 1988, and they later had three children: Rusty Jr., Anthony, and Amanda. He attended Oakley School and Barbara Worth Jr. High School for his elementary years. Rusty played little league baseball for the Cardinals and the Beavers before playing Babe Ruth baseball. For the Brawley High Wildcats, he was a football quarterback, baseball pitcher, and basketball player. In his senior year, he was named most outstanding player in football, and in 2019, he was inducted into the Imperial Valley Football Hall of Fame. Many great stories of Rusty's playing days have been remembered for years. Rusty graduated from Brawley Union High School in 1975 and attended Imperial Valley College and San Diego State University.

Rusty worked in various positions in agriculture and sales prior to beginning his career in law enforcement. His coaching career began as a football coach in 1979-1983 for Imperial Valley College and in 1984-1986 at Brawley Union High School for football and baseball. Rusty worked for the County of Imperial for 28 years, retiring in 2011. He was a drug and alcohol counselor for the Mental Health Department for 5 years. His work included initiating the first Red Ribbon Week celebration. He was a Deputy Probation Officer II with the Probation Department for 23 years. He enjoyed working with the courts, local schools, and law enforcement agencies.

After his retirement, he began working part-time as a home health coordinator with Imperial Valley Home Health Care and a community liaison with UniCare Home Care. In 2017, Rusty obtained his California Insurance Agent License. As an independent agent, he represented Aflac-American Family Life Insurance Company and SBHIS-South Bay Health & Insurance Services. In Rusty's first year with Aflac, he was recognized as a member of the Aflac National Presidents Club, for his sales achievements. Later, was also presented the CA South Coast Legacy Veteran of the Year, Convention and Winners Circle.

A big part of Rusty's legacy was his role as board of trustee for the Brawley Union High School District, where he served for 23 years. First elected in 1987 and re-elected in 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2020. He was passionate about student life, loved athletics, and promoted all educational and technical programs at Brawley Union and Desert Valley High Schools. Rusty was proud of his efforts to help secure the acquisition of the armory building for the high school. His favorite day as a board member was graduation. This event not only culminated the students' achievements, but he was able to shake their hands, look them in the eye, and see their future just about to begin.

Rusty thanked God for his blessings in life. He was blessed with the gift of serving and strengthening his community. He developed many relationships through personal and professional involvements. He loved working with people and treated everyone with respect, the same respect he expected from others. He was always willing to engage in conversation, whether at a meeting or at the grocery store. Rusty's legacy can be measured by the lives he touched during his commitment to bettering the community of Brawley and the Imperial County. He was very hands-on and ready to lend a helping hand and be a part of the solution. He would say, don't complain without trying to help. If you want something done, go out and fight for it, use your voice and advocate.

When his son Anthony passed, friends and the community came together to support the family. These efforts cemented the need to give back to the communities and continue helping others. He organized the Anthony Garcia Foundation to assist cancer patients, assist youth in recreational and academic activities, and assist high school students with scholarships.

As Board Chairman of Innercare, formerly known as Clinicas de Salud del Pueblo, he was proud of the expansions in Riverside and Imperial Counties to provide affordable healthcare to all and expand healthcare services.

Through his religious affiliations and community organizations, he was called to serve as a lector and catechism teacher at Saint Margaret Mary Catholic Church. He enjoyed teaching students about faith and how to pray.

Rusty served as president for the City of Brawley's Park and Recreation Commission, where he advocated for the city's parks and recreation activities and facilities available to youth, teens, adults, and seniors. If a coach was needed, for several years he jumped at the chance to serve as coach for youth softball, soccer, and basketball.

Prior to these current commitments, Rusty was a recipient of the 2019 Imperial Valley Social Justice Martin Luther King, Jr. Stone of Hope Award. Rusty also served as President of Sonia Corina, Inc., Chairman for the Calipatria State Prison Citizens Advisory Commission, and a 34-year member of the Knights of Columbus Fraternal Order, 4th Degree. Rusty was an active member for 38 years of the Hidalgo Society, where he was selected as honorary lifetime member and president in 1986, 1988, 1990, 2013, and 2014. Rusty enjoyed coaching, he was a member and President of the Brawley Little League, the North End Babe Ruth League, and the District 7 Babe Ruth League Commissioner. He was also a member and president of the Brawley Boys Club.

Even with all of Rusty's community service, spending quality family time was the most important to him. While working, he always made it a point to attend his children's school and sporting events. That continued with attending his granddaughters' events as well. He would always find time to enjoy those special moments with each of them, even if it was a practice. He enjoyed traveling with his wife and family to Dodgers and Rams games, camping in their Winnebago, visiting cousins in Fresno, and vacations to Vegas.

Rusty will be missed for his loving, friendly, caring, compassion, and sense of humor. He was known for his jokes, cruises around town in his Silverado, grocery shopping for the best fruit, and for his skill in knowing who to call in his efforts to help others or who could join him in working on a project.

He was preceded in death by his son, Anthony Lucas Garcia in April 2011; parents, Rosendo M. and Graciela Garcia, in-laws and suegros, Gerardo and Guadalupe Flores; brother-in-law and compa, Frank Durazo, nephew, Gabriel Durazo, and compa, Miguel Miranda.

Surviving family includes the love of his life, Guadalupe (Lupe) Garcia; son, Rosendo (Rusty Jr.), and daughter-in-law, Stephanie Lopez Garcia; daughter, Amanda Rae Garcia and boyfriend, Thomas Urquides; the sparkle of his eyes granddaughters: Emma Diane, Ava Grace and Ella Rose; brother and sister-in-law, Guillermo (Billy) and Mari Garcia, sister and brother-in-law, Rosemarie and Bryan Wood; brothers and sisters-in-law: Ted Flores, Maria and Enrique Sanchez, Bea and Nacho Cabrera, Candy Durazo, Joe and Mary Ann Flores, Tammy and John Britt, Nick and Rocio Flores, Luis and Marivic Flores, and Alicia Flores; and numerous godsons and daughters, nieces, nephews, cousins, compas and comadres and friends. ORALE.

Rusty's funeral services will begin with Visitation on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, from 5:30-9 pm at the Brawley Union High School new gym, with a Rosary at 8 pm. Mass will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 11 am at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery.