John Garcia, Sr.

John Garcia, Sr., 101 years, of Galesburg, Illinois, died peacefully at home, on October 13, 2025, at 3:50 p.m. with his family by his side.

John was born September 4, 1924, in Veracruz, Mexico, the son of Refugio and Lenore (Nunez) Garcia. In his late teens, John emigrated to the US to work for the C.B.&Q. Railroad. John and Lucille Sierra were married in 1945 in Davenport, Iowa. He then worked for Peoples Hardware in Galesburg, eventually attending trade school in Chicago to become an electrician, although one of his many jobs, was antiquing lamps. John then came to Galesburg, and took classes to work on televisions at a local TV repair business. He then went on to work at Gates Rubber Co. for 25 years. While working at Gates, John owned and operated Casa Sierra restaurant in Galesburg with his wife Lulu until her death on May 29, 2001. John continued running the restaurant with his family until he retired in 2010.

John is survived by one son, John Garcia, Jr. of Galesburg; one daughter, Gloria (Steve) Specht of Galesburg; seven grandchildren; Tiffani (John) West, of Galesburg; Marco (Yvette) Garcia, also of Galesburg; Chris, (DeAngela) Broadhurst, Dunlap, Illinois; Anthony Broadhurst, San Antonio, Texas; Angela Broadhurst, Peoria, Illinois; Michael (Cortni) Broadhurst, Dunlap, Illinois; Lisa (Aaron) Smith, Peoria, Illinois; twenty-three great grandchildren; and six great- great grandchildren. John is also survived by one brother, Cuco (Willamina) Garcia of Veracruz, Mexico; one sister, Gloria (Angel) Guillermo, also of Veracruz, Mexico; his special companion Lana Basham of Galesburg; and those who, along with family, helped care for him in recent years; Tomas Garcia, Gavin Hasley, and Drew Baughman. Along with his parents and wife, John was preceded in death by one son, John, and one sister, Margarita Ramirez.

John loved his faith and was a longtime member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Galesburg. He loved the St Louis Cardinals and went to many ball games with the family. John was also a man of many talents. He was an accomplished magician, possessed the rhythm to dance including tap dancing, and was known for his dry sense of humor and his jokester personality. John also had an artist’s eye, constantly drawing or doodling on a newspaper or in a magazine. He had a tool for everything. If something needed fixing, he would find a way to get it done, sometimes even working on fixtures at the restaurant while it was open, but it would get done. He could fix anything. In his later years, he enjoyed stopping by to see his family during his daily outings, bringing along little snacks or items that he had picked up at the local dollar store and such. He was especially proud of the day that he became an American citizen.

Dad, thank you for all of the beautiful memories, and especially for all of the unconditional love that you gave us. Give mom a big hug! Love Gloria, John, and all of your grandchildren. God Bless you always!

The rosary will be prayed at 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Watson Thomas Funeral Home and Crematory, Galesburg with visitation following from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Funeral Mass will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday, October 23, 2025, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church. Father Jeffrey Stirniman will officiate. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, Galesburg. Memorial contributions may be directed to LaRabida Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Online expressions of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.watsonthomas.com.