Mary L. Garcia's Obituary
Mary (Maria Luisa) Garcia left this world on January 19,2022 at age 70. She was born October 1,1951 in Ventura, CA to Louis C. Garcia and Theodora L. Garcia. She grew up in Compton, California.
As a young girl, one of her favorite Mexican songs was Gorrioncillo Pecho Amarillo, and in later years she loved singers, Vicente and Alejandro Fernandez. Mary had a beautiful singing voice and loved to sing out loud so everyone could hear her.
As a teenager, her best friend was Susie Gonzalez and they loved the song, “What’s your name”, because it had both of their names in it. Mary and Susie worked at the Lynwood Car Wash on weekends and loved each other like sisters.
Mary also loved oldies and Motown music. Some of her favorite songs during that time were, I’ll make it Easy, Me and You, The Closer you are, Heaven must have sent you, I only have eyes for you, and, Where Lovers Go. She enjoyed getting dressed up on the weekends to go dancing with her friends and younger sister Gloria. Her favorite car was her white 1963 Chevy Impala. She loved going cruising to East Los Angeles on Whittier Blvd where all the young people cruised. It was during these years, in the early 70’s, that she met Robert (Biggs) Mata Sr. Those years spent with Robert were the best of her life. She loved Robert with all her heart and soul and dedicated, “Just my imagination”, by the Temptations to him. It was the theme song to their love story. Mary and Robert later married and although he passed away on January 1, 1984, she loved him for the rest of her life.
Mary wanted to be a hair-stylist since she was in her teens, and she fulfilled that dream in her 40’s. She also went back to night school and attained a high school diploma. Mary loved working at Fantastic Sam’s as a hair stylist. The quality of her work was evident by the number of loyal customers that requested her services. Mary also gave free haircuts to her family and friends. She was an amazing hair stylist.
Mary enjoyed, skating, dancing, going to the beach, eating Chinese food and playing Backgammon. She also loved playing dominos and canasta with her parents and siblings.
Mary loved her children and grandchildren very much. She was especially close to her first grandchild Valerie.
Mary lived the last eight years of her life in Washington state.
Mary leaves behind her two children, Robert Mata, and LoriBeth Garcia, four grandkids, Valerie and Kayla Mata, Diego and Lola Blanco; her parents, Louis Garcia and Theodora Garcia; brothers and sisters, Alfredo, Jose Luis, Gloria, Ismael, Richard, Diana, Louie, David, Angela Duron, Angie Albrecht, numerous cousins, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephew and friends. Preceded in death by Robert Mata Sr. and brother, Alex Garcia.
A memorial will be held on February 17, 2022, at Mountain View Funeral Home, 4100 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, WA 98499.
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