Obituary for Alfonso "Al" Garcia, Jr.
Alfonso "Al" Garcia, Jr.
GARCIA, Alfonso "Al", Jr., 73, of Brandon, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, February 27, 2011. He was born on May 12, 1937, in Tampa, Florida to Alfonso and Mary (Maggio) Garcia., Al was the oldest of three siblings, and known as "Nico" to friends and family, and "Pop" to his sons. Al lived his early life in Palmetto Beach and grew up in Ybor City. He attended Jefferson High School and graduated from Florida Southern College. He served honorably in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Captain, and was stationed in Monterrey, California, an area for which he retained a lifelong love. From an early age Al worked with his father in his various businesses as a beef cattle rancher, at several package stores and lounges within the city, and with professional sports promotions, often with his brother-in- law Richard Muga. However, he spent much of his young life working at the family's restaurant, Cuervos, on 7th Avenue in Ybor City. Al loved working in the restaurant alongside his dad and his uncles Julian and Jose. He married his beloved wife Rose Lee on July 31, 1966 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Tragically, he lost his own father in 1968 only days after the birth of his first son Alfonso III. He gained a surrogate father through Nick Capitano, his father-in law, and loved him dearly. Al joined Nick and brother-in-law Joe Capitano at Radiant Oil Company, helping them to make it a large and successful business. He also ran New Cigar City Truck Stop which he owned with Joe, and finally Best Line Oil Company, where he worked his final years with his son Al. Nico was an active parishioner of Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon, and was close friends with Monsignor James Lara. He loved to spend time with his grandchildren by attending their baseball games and watching football with them on Sundays. His family was always his number one priority. Al was intensely proud of his Asturian and Sicilian heritage, and spoke Spanish and Italian fluently. However, he was most proud of being an American, and enormously grateful for the opportunities afforded to him and his family by this nation. Survivors include his wife, Rose Lee (Capitano) Garcia, his sons, Alfonso Garcia III (Reina) of Brandon, Richard Garcia (Stamie) and Nick Garcia (Jennifer) of Tampa; six grandchildren, Alexis Garcia, Nicholas Garcia, Dominic Garcia, Sophia Garcia, Nico Garcia and Nate Garcia, and his sisters, Sylvia (Richard) Muga, and Julie (Mike) Adams. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd, Brandon. Interment will follow at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park. His family will receive friends from 5 p.m - 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at Southern Funeral Care,10510 Riverview Dr., Riverview, FL 33578. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to Villa la Paz Foundation Inc., 2600 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, Suite 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33704-2744 or Nativity Food Pantry in care of Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd, FL 33511.
Funeral Information
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd, Brandon. Interment will follow at Myrtle Hill Cemetery. His family will receive friends from 5 p.m - 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at Southern Funeral Care, 10510 Riverview Dr., Riverview, FL 33578
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GARCIA, Alfonso "Al", Jr., 73, of Brandon, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, February 27, 2011. He was born on May 12, 1937, in Tampa, Florida to Alfonso and Mary (Maggio) Garcia., Al was the oldest of three siblings, and known as "Nico" to friends and family, and "Pop" to his sons. Al lived his early life in Palmetto Beach and grew up in Ybor City. He attended Jefferson High School and graduated from Florida Southern College. He served honorably in the United States Army, achieving the rank of Captain, and was stationed in Monterrey, California, an area for which he retained a lifelong love. From an early age Al worked with his father in his various businesses as a beef cattle rancher, at several package stores and lounges within the city, and with professional sports promotions, often with his brother-in- law Richard Muga. However, he spent much of his young life working at the family's restaurant, Cuervos, on 7th Avenue in Ybor City. Al loved working in the restaurant alongside his dad and his uncles Julian and Jose. He married his beloved wife Rose Lee on July 31, 1966 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Tragically, he lost his own father in 1968 only days after the birth of his first son Alfonso III. He gained a surrogate father through Nick Capitano, his father-in law, and loved him dearly. Al joined Nick and brother-in-law Joe Capitano at Radiant Oil Company, helping them to make it a large and successful business. He also ran New Cigar City Truck Stop which he owned with Joe, and finally Best Line Oil Company, where he worked his final years with his son Al. Nico was an active parishioner of Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon, and was close friends with Monsignor James Lara. He loved to spend time with his grandchildren by attending their baseball games and watching football with them on Sundays. His family was always his number one priority. Al was intensely proud of his Asturian and Sicilian heritage, and spoke Spanish and Italian fluently. However, he was most proud of being an American, and enormously grateful for the opportunities afforded to him and his family by this nation. Survivors include his wife, Rose Lee (Capitano) Garcia, his sons, Alfonso Garcia III (Reina) of Brandon, Richard Garcia (Stamie) and Nick Garcia (Jennifer) of Tampa; six grandchildren, Alexis Garcia, Nicholas Garcia, Dominic Garcia, Sophia Garcia, Nico Garcia and Nate Garcia, and his sisters, Sylvia (Richard) Muga, and Julie (Mike) Adams. Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd, Brandon. Interment will follow at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park. His family will receive friends from 5 p.m - 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at Southern Funeral Care,10510 Riverview Dr., Riverview, FL 33578. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to Villa la Paz Foundation Inc., 2600 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, Suite 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33704-2744 or Nativity Food Pantry in care of Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd, FL 33511.
Funeral Information
Funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 3, 2011 at Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd, Brandon. Interment will follow at Myrtle Hill Cemetery. His family will receive friends from 5 p.m - 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at Southern Funeral Care, 10510 Riverview Dr., Riverview, FL 33578
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