Pedro Garcia (El Toro) passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 22 at the age of 88 surrounded by his loving family at home. He is now in heaven with his eldest son, Jorge Luis Garcia.

Born on December 15, 1933, in a small town in Tamaulipas, Mexico known as "Rancherias"  to Francisco Garcia and Angelina Hinojosa. Pedro was the second eldest of six children. He was an adventurous, playful boy growing up to whom his younger brothers looked up to. He was a hero to his siblings, always available when they needed his help, bailing them out of trouble, always protecting the people he loved most.

His greatest asset was his HEART of GOLD, always ready to lend a helping hand. Pedro Garcia was a wonderful caring man which landed him friends by the hundreds.  He would find a pair of shoes for the guy he saw walking barefoot, our kitchen table was always crowded with friends, relatives, even his employees.  He taught us, by example, to be generous and kind to those that needed the most.

He had a great deal of determination. He had no fear, if he wanted to do something he would find a way to accomplish it.  He could sway a room without hesitation, his intelligence guiding the pack, with eyes that allowed him to see the world as a land of opportunity, his "glass half full" at all times. He took his natural talents, and applied them where he saw fit, a wise business man.

In his early twenties, he enjoyed the music and the joy that radiated around the "plaza" in Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas where dances were held. One September evening in 1955, while attending one of these famous dances, he met the love of his life Maria Eglantina Saldana.

Pedro and Maria Eglantina fell in love and decided to create a legacy together, happily married on December 12, 1955, in Miguel Aleman, Tamaulipas. They established a foundation of love and brought to this world, their six remarkable children. Jorge Luis,  Aurora Mayanin, Mario Francisco, Juan Carlos, Pedro Eduardo, and Agueda Mabel.

He did everything for us, his family.  We knew that family came first because that is what he taught us.  A very fond memory of times when he would pack up all of us kids on the weekends to take us to the lake or "presa", along with as many neighbors and friends that would care to tag along.  He would just honk the horn and yell out "TO THE LAKE"  and friends would jump on his truck and off we went! Road trips with him were never bleak, GPS was never necessary with him behind the wheel and if he had time to spare, why not drift off the grid to stop and smell the flowers on the way. He liked to whistle a tune when the road felt like it'd never end, bathroom breaks were really Blue Bell ice cream stops and you had to stay on your toes in case of an emergency (usually involving some detour along the way to help anyone who crossed his path). He was such a generous and kind man, sometimes even to a fault. He knew one man's trash could be another man's treasure so he would pick up old bicycles, tires, toys, anything really, that he thought would be useful to those less fortunate than us.  He always trusted people, gave many the benefit of the doubt because he chose to see the good in all and believed that everyone deserved a second chance.

The world was a beautiful and bright wonderland full of chance and opportunity, if you were brave enough to go after what you dreamed of. That is how Pedro Garcia viewed life. With no fear, no hesitation, no holding back, he traveled coast to coast, either on a mission or in search of adventure. No task was too tough, no storm could rain on his parade. Pedro Garcia was a force of nature, drawing in every person who ever graced his presence, taking the shirt off his back to anyone in need of it, his family always number one, above all.

Pedro is preceded by his wife of 66 years, Maria Eglantina Garcia, his daughters and sons, along with their respected spouses,  Aurora and Domingo Oranday, Mario and Benita Garcia, Juan Carlos Garcia, Pedro and Nereyda Garcia, and Mabel and Mauro Garcia. Along with his 17 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. The excitement on his face when he'd be in the presence of his grandkids was bliss.

They all have so many sweet memories of their "Wuelo" whom they will miss dearly.

We were all so fortunate to have him in our lives. He was loving husband, father, grandfather, friend. This world has certainly lost one great man, one wonderful human being