Finding a milestone birthday card for a 100th birthday is hard. El Cajon resident Renato “Ray” Garcia’s family friend, Monica Schwarz, found one for this centenarian at Grossmont Center.
Garcia celebrated his birthday and two days before his 100th birthday celebrated his 65th wedding anniversary to his wife, Edda, on Nov. 12 at a party held at La Mesa’s Foothills Methodist Church. Mr. Garcia joked, “I feel really old.”
Finding a milestone birthday card for a 100th birthday is hard. El Cajon resident Renato “Ray” Garcia’s family friend, Monica Schwarz, found one for this centenarian at Grossmont Center.
Garcia celebrated his birthday and two days before his 100th birthday celebrated his 65th wedding anniversary to his wife, Edda, on Nov. 12 at a party held at La Mesa’s Foothills Methodist Church. Mr. Garcia joked, “I feel really old.”
His daughter, Ligia Garcia-Clawson, was the force and organizational whiz that pulled together their party with party guests numbering 83 that came from Virginia, Costa Rica, Chicago, and from all over California.
“His sense of humor and eating well” was a part of what his daughter offered on how he got to 100 years of life.
Garcia was born in 1916 in Bolivia. He lived briefly in Virginia. He has been a resident of El Cajon since 1962. He held two jobs to support his family. He and Edda raised four children. He worked 30 years as a housekeeper at El Cajon Valley Hospital. Additionally, he taught Spanish in adult education for 20 years with the Grossmont Union High School District.
The evening started with a prayer by his daughter, Ruth Newmann, followed by dinner that was catered by Jesse’s Rico Tacos Catering and Greek Chicken, a toast, music and open microphone, followed by the blowing out of the three candles signifying one-zero-zero substituting for 100 actual candles on the cake. Mr. Garcia got to hear “Feliz Cumpleaños” for the 100th time.
Grace Clawson, 25, said, “I don’t know many that make it to 100. I hope I can live that long.”
Edda Garcia described her husband of 65 years as, “a happy man. The best husband for me. We love each other.”
His sister, Gladys Wood, credited their deep religious faith as a contributing factor to the longevity of Renato and the couple’s marriage. The couple married in 1951 in their native Bolivia.
Great-nephew Sam Dieck said Renato’s home was “The one place to go to if you were coming into this country.”
Monica Schwarz said, “He loves spicy food and is a flirt.” That flirt side might have come into play when via a translator Renato explained about meeting Marilyn Monroe in Arizona when she was filming. Regretfully the negative and picture with her disappeared.
A slideshow and a display table with his pictures allowed family and friends to get a glimpse again of his life.
Renato is a self-taught musician. One of his favorite songs according to daughter Ligia, is the hymn, “How Great Thou Art,” a fitting reflection of the deep faith that he attributes to his living to be 100 years old.
