Alfredo J. Garcia
Alfredo J. Garcia, 87, of Butler passed away Monday at the VNA Inpatient Hospice.
He was born May 5, 1931, in Lima, Peru, and was the son of the late Alfredo J. Garcia and Idalia (Terry) Garcia.
Alfredo was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church.
He was an internal medicine physician in Butler for 43 years.
He was a member of many professional organizations including Butler Medical Society, Pennsylvania Medical Society, American Medical Association, American Society of Internal Medicine, American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians and American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review. He was a past president of the Midwestern Pennsylvania Heart Association. He was also active in the community and had been a member of the board of directors for the American Cancer Society, past president of the Butler PM Rotary Club, and held membership in Masonic Lodge 272 and Syria Temple.
Dr. Garcia was an advocate for diversity and a trendsetter in Butler, paving the way for other foreign doctors. He began his career in Butler as a physician at the Veterans Administration Hospital, before setting up his private practice in downtown Butler. He brought with him a spirit to serve those less fortunate and stood for social justice as evidenced by his participation in the Resurrection City March in Washington, D.C., in 1968, as a member of the medical team and various medical missions over the years.
Making a house call to a sick patient was not out of the ordinary for him and he could rarely go anywhere without seeing a patient. This included Disney World and various airports in the United States. He would often open his home to foreign exchange students, as he enjoyed learning about other cultures.
He was always in a good humor, often seen at his grandchildren's various activities, learning to ride a bike in his 60s and trying to make others laugh with his silly jokes that only he thought were funny.
During his short retirement, Dr. Garcia became a fan of television with “Judge Judy,” professional wrestling and “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” becoming his favorites.
To all who knew him, he may have referred to you as chief, boss, buddy or another term of endearment, as he was horrible with names. His own children were not exempt from this quality.
He prided himself on his amateur gardening skills, which included pruning the life out of any shrub in his way and insisting it would grow back to be better than ever ... We are still waiting.
Surviving are two daughters, Theresa “Terry” (Stephen) Cupps of Butler, and Elizabeth (Michael) Bauer of Pittsburgh; two sons, Michael (Michelle) Garcia of Cochranton, and Steven Garcia of Valencia; 14 grandchildren, Alyssa and Lydia Garcia, Wesley, Gabriela, Nathan and Louis Bauer, Michael, Isabella, Andrew, Matthew, Lucas, and Sophia Garcia, Jacob and Shelby Garcia; two step-grandchildren, Erik Cupps and Stephanie (Jared) Arienzo; a sister, Olga Garcia of Lima, Peru; and his niece, Idalia Garcia of Juneau, Alaska.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother; and his former wife, Lois Christison Garcia.
GARCIA — Friends of Alfredo J. Garcia, who died Monday, May 21, 2018, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Young Funeral Home, 127 W. Jefferson St., Butler.Masonic services will be held at 5:45 p.m. Wednesday evening at the funeral home.Services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive, Butler, with Pastor Joel Benson officiating.Private interment will be in the West Sunbury Union Cemetery.Contributions may be made to the VNA Inpatient Hospice Unit, 115 Technology Drive, Butler, PA 16001, or to Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive, Butler, PA.Please visit www.youngfuneralhomes.com.
