Esther Gonzales Garcia

1929 - 2021

Esther Gonzales Garcia
August 7, 1929 - July 31, 2021
Modesto, California - Esther Gonzales Garcia graced the world with her presence on August 7th, 1929 and brought a piece of the sun with her. Her warmth and kindness brightened the lives of everyone she touched.
As Esther and her honey bear built their house room by room with the arrival of each child, Esther drew-up and oversaw the plans for everything from electrical to plumbing with a professional eye. Despite dropping out of school her senior year, she was passionate about education, eventually returning to finish what she started in 1977. Throughout the years, she taught multiple family members everything from how to bake a cake, to how to read a tape measure.
She was incredibly resourceful. After a birthday cake that she made for her young children fell apart, she signed up for classes and turned her love of baking into a business. She could reverse engineer any article of clothing and when her kids were young; she transformed flour sacks into tailored outfits.
She lived to care for others. Whenever someone showed up at her door unannounced, she would be ready to welcome them with cookies, fresh fruit and a pot of beans. On her family's weekly trips to the lake, she would prepare a fully decorated cake and pack enough food to feed several families. Her dedication to her family was unmistakable as she worked the graveyard shift in order to care for her family during the day. The moment she returned home from night shift, she would be ready to leave for the lake or, later in life, to care for her grandchildren, often forgoing sleep.
Her warmth will be missed by her three children, Ernie Garcia, Helen Mendoza, and Annie Wickham; her four granddaughters, Sunny Clark, Tara Randle, Marita Garcia, and Alana Garcia; and her eight cherished great-grandchildren. She joined her husband of 73 years, Ernesto, in eternal rest on July 31, 2021, excited to dance with him again.
Private services for the family to be held at Franklin & Downs.