Anita V. Garcia

Anita V. Garcia passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 30, 2023 at the age of 89. Anita was a third generation Arizonan as her great grandfather first came to Arizona in the 1870’s to the Wickenburg area. She was born in Phoenix, Arizona on August 12th, 1933 to Amalia and Bernabe Valencia and was the oldest daughter of 11 children. She attended Phoenix Union high school where she performed in the yearly Masque of the Yellow Moon celebrations held by the high school. She married Gilberto Garcia in 1956 and proceeded to raise their family of four children Gilbert, Paul, Denise and Gena. She retired after 25 plus years of working for the Title 1 Program for the Arizona Department of Education. She and her husband were members of the Vesta Club, a scholarship organization that helped college-bound Hispanic students and she was a proud active member of Las Damas del Valle, a group dedicated to serving Latino communities.

Anita loved sports and was a loyal fan of the Arizona Cardinals, Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Diamondbacks. When you went to her house you could bet her television was tuned into all of their games. Her greatest love was for the ASU Sun Devils (especially their football teams) as her and her husband were long time season ticket holders and her greatest memory was in attending the 1987 Sun Devils Rose Bowl victory.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her son and leaves behind her three remaining children, eight grandchildren Paul Jr. and Allison Garcia, Amanda Garcia, Tiara and Tim Jr. Salazar, Katelyn, John and Alec Garcia and three great grandchildren Lily Kincaid, Quinn and Adelia Polelonema. Anita was also little sister to her brother Ben Valencia and big sister to Lucie Daley, Gloria Weber, Eddie Valencia Sr., Amalia Valencia, Robert Valencia, Connie Doten, Henry Joe Valencia, Arthur Valencia and Barbara Valencia. She will be missed by all of those she loved and touched deeply.

A visitation will be held at 9am with rosary prayers at 10am and the funeral service to begin at 10:15am on Friday, August 11, 2023 at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Graveside service will follow at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 2033 N 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008. For those unable to attend in person please join the prayer service at https://www.facebook.com/WhitneyMurphyFH/

A reception will follow the burial services at the Scottsdale Elks Lodge at 6398 E. Oak St., Scottsdale, AZ 85257.