Heartbroken after losing his wife Irma Garcia in the Robb Elementary shooting, Joe Garcia, 50, died of a heart attack on Thursday, May 26. Returning home after visiting his wife's memorial to leave flowers, he "pretty much just fell over" his nephew told the New York Times.
Joe and Irma were married for 24 years. The couple had four children: two boys and two girls. Cristian, the oldest, serves in the United States Marine Corps, Jose attends Texas State University. The oldest daughter, Lyliana is a sophomore in high school and the youngest child, Alysandra, is in seventh grade.
Irma Garcia worked at Robb elementary for 23 years. She taught fourth grade history in the largely Hispanic community about 85 miles west of San Antonio.
Garcia shared on her profile on the school’s website, "I love to BBQ with my husband, listen to music, and take country cruises to Concan."
Mass at Sacred Heart in Uvalde
Yesterday evening the Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo García-Siller offered an emotional Mass for Jose at Sacred Heart Church in Uvalde.
One attendee shared on Twitter, "Everyone in the church was crying." He went on to say, "The archbishop started crying during the eucharistic prayer." His post concluded, "Don't know what else to say."
Father Eduardo Morales described the couple, telling WFAA news “They were church going people, always willing to help, always seeing what they could do in the community, not just their children." "I hope that we remember how giving they were," Morales said.
The Robb Elementary attack
The Robb Elementary massacre — the deadliest school shooting in the United States since the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary in 2012 — continues to be investigated. Authorities report the alleged shooter, Salvador Ramos, has no previously known mental health or criminal history.
The 18-year-old gunman was killed in a shootout, after having been inside the school for over an hour, investigators reported Thursday. To date 19 children and two adults have died from the attack.
