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On 15 Dec 2020, Henry Andrew Garcia Jr. passed away at the age of 82. Born in Refugio, Texas in April 1938, he and his family moved to San Antonio in 1953 where he also resided at the time of his death. Henry Andrew Garcia, Jr. joined the Lord on December 14, 2020 in San Antonio, Texas. He was born in 1938 in Refugio, Texas to Henry Andrew Garcia, Sr. and Mary Cisneros. Henry was preceded in death by his son, Henry “Hank” Garcia. He is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Betty Vogel Garcia; daughter, Lawna D. Swellander (Stephen); son, Greg Garcia (Melissa); sisters, Sara Valenzuela and Theresa Garcia; brother, Basil Garcia; seven grandchildren - Sarah, Dylan, Kendrik, Michael, Brian, Alexandria, and Emily; and four great-grandchildren - Corrine, Collin, Cason, and Harlynn. Henry was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father, Opa/Grand Opa, and Patriot. A dedicated Kelly AFB teammate, successful business/food entrepreneur, committed community volunteer, proud Sons of the American Revolution life member, involved Canary Island descendant, active Los Bexarenos Genealogical and Historical Society member, a world-class softball pitcher and coach, and an accomplished speaker, writer, and reporter. "Living on Love, Borrowing on Time" was Henry and Betty's song. Henry had a presence larger than life, and will be greatly missed. His wife has quietly endured his “humor” and constant quests to work, play sports and volunteer in many and various endeavors throughout their 62 years of marriage. In fact, Betty and Henry were the only husband/wife duo who both pitched fast pitch softball in San Antonio. Being a talented musician at Burbank High School, he played his tenor saxophone with several local band leaders such as Julio Dominguez, Felix Solis, Paul Elizondo, and others. Upon graduation in 1956, he was well versed in the statement that “all musicians needed a day-time job, so he accepted a 4-year Engine Mechanic Apprenticeship position at Kelly AFB. With sax now buried somewhere in the closet, he retired from Kelly AFB in 1993. While working at Kelly AFB, he added the various job assignments of being a Jet Engine Mechanic, Engine/Aircraft Equipment Specialist, a Technical Instructor, an Egress Systems’ Aircraft Accident Investigator, a Logistics Management Specialist, the Director and Division Chief of The Department of Defense Center at Lackland AFB, and he finished his 37 year Federal Civilian Service Career in Civilian Personnel. Having never played sports in his youth and high school, he self-taught himself to pitch fast-pitch softball and was recruited to play and pitch for the Kelly AFB Apprentice Team, then Glow Worm, Hippo Size, APCO, Jay Hawks, and various other Kelly AFB teams. In 1968, he was part of the San Antonio Softball Team that played 23 games in 16 days on both islands in New Zealand. To supplement his family’s income, he also played semi-pro in fast pitch softball tournaments in Houston, Port Arthur and other Texas towns. He was awarded the Most Valuable Pitcher Award in 1959 from Kelly AFB and also from the City of San Antonio City Recreation Department’s Pitcher of the Year in 1986. He started his LUDIFY (Let Us Do It For You) Income Tax Service, that was started with fellow Kellyite, Raul Perez. He and his wife then started their LUDIFY Food Concessions in 1975 at the Alamo Heights Little League and Pony League Parks. His three children earned $1.00 an hour for their services. At their tender ages, his daughter Dee (16), Henry (15) and Greg (13) were the only kids in the neighborhood who had money in their pockets - that they actually earned by working hard – and not just given. Starting with four downtown San Antonio Office Building Coffee Shops in late 1975 they chalked up to a total of nine different locations during their 28 years in the business. Seemingly with enough to do with the food operation by doing all of the contract negotiations, product purchase, bookkeeping and tax work, after he career at Kelly AFB, he went to work for Aeronautical Radio INC (ARINC) in 1998, and also retired from the operation in 2003. Believing that if any person wants to survive their poor, meager living styles in rent houses, one must keep using their imagination, creativity, blood-sweat and tears and firm belief in his perpetual motto of “There’s Always A Way” to survive; and maybe even working three jobs (his wife worked at two) while putting his three children through Alamo Heights High School and their chosen Universities. In addition and even while their children were in high school, Betty & he attended San Antonio College together. Henry received his Associate Degree from SAC in 1971 and obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from Southwest Texas University 1984, while working full time at Kelly AFB and with their food business. While she was 16 years old, he was 19 years old making $1.21 per hour at Kelly AFB when they got married. Over the next four years, they had all three of their kids! Later they bought a TV set which resulted in no more “bundles of joy” arrivals. They rented a lot of places at first, but grew tired of subsidizing someone else’s wallet, so in May 1962, they bought their first house for $12,500.00. Even after they moved away in 1973 seeking a better school district, the home was retained as a rent property. What proved more valuable than that was that it became somewhere our married children and their families could move into (rent free) and for them to give up the idea of coming back home with their growing families. During those better-schools seeking days in 1970, every Saturday during the Summer, they would pack up our 1958 Chevrolet Nomad Station Wagon (He wished that he have kept that beauty) with the kids, ice chest of water and sodas and sandwiches, just, in case, a park was found along the way to rest and eat. Over many weekends and many areas of town in trying to finding a junior high for Lawna, we turned right on Woodcrest Street off of North New Braunfels and saw a realtor placing a For Sale Sign in front of this house. We slowed down a bit but kept going to the end of the block. Lo and behold, there was Woodridge Elementary School which Hank and Greg would need to go. Since we had just passed Alamo Heights Junior High a few blocks from Woodcrest, all of our bells and whistles went off in unison. Since Betty and he usually bought things by impulse and without much forethought or planning, they turned around and stopped, and then knocked on that house’s front door. By luck, the owner and the realtor were both inside, and they were allowed to view the place. With no more than 30 minutes sightseeing, Betty & he immediately nodded our heads yes, and negotiations were begun. By luck, he had borrowed $5000 from his mom and sat down and asked how much were they asking. They said $33,000! In Alamo Heights School District! Wow. The contract was signed and the borrowed $5000 was as a down payment. (FYI, later, the loan was repaid to momma Garcia.) Asking the lady what she planned to do with all of the appliances, window AC units, etc., she said “Maybe, have a yard sale?” They then told her that they were interested in buying everything she wanted to sell, because we had nothing to bring in. She then looked at the entire family, and replied “I’ll sell you everything in the house for $600.00, payable at $10.00 a month without interest.” Eureka! This was a woman with a big and kind heart. After she moved out, they discovered a vintage Fredrick Pool Table in the den that had leather pockets that was in immaculate condition. Later and after they moved on to Kimble County in 2000, from Boerne, where they lived for 18 years, the Table was sold for $3500.00 as they moved. While Betty and he both lived in similar meager beginnings and we both never traveled to many places outside our rented houses’ backyards, they can truthfully say there is a great and tremendous world out there. Besides many road trips and airplane rides to many beautiful places around this wonderful country of the USA, they also spent New Year’s Eve in 1999 off the coast of Hawaii’s Big Island on a passenger ship watching the fireworks bring in the 2000 new year; New Year Eve in Tahiti on December 31, 1984 and spending three weeks visiting three different Hawaiian Islands celebrating our 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2008. For two poor kids, they felt like we were watching the scenes of a movie each time. That just couldn’t be them! A man with many names, nicknames and some he can’t repeat, he was first called “Sonny” after I was born; then “Uncle Sonny” to my nephews and nieces; Mr. LUDIFY to my business customers and “Sugar or Shhgar” to most softball players around the state and still too many Kelly coworkers who are still alive. Being avid investors, in November 1984, Betty and I pre-purchased our burial plots for $450.00 each that are adjoining The Dominion Golf Course but they are actually located in the Mission Park North Cemetery. It’s a good thing they were bought then, because he couldn’t afford one now!

Tributes

Henry Andrew Garcia Jr.

April 27, 1938 - December 14, 2020