Thelma Irene Patton Garcia, 84, of Fallbrook, CA and formerly of Columbia, died Friday, July 2, 2021 at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, CA. She was born on March 8, 1937 in Cincinnati, Ohio to the late William H. and Ethel Brown Patton. She was also preceded in death by her husband Sgt. Major Don Garcia who was retired from the United State Marine Corps with US Embassy assignments worldwide.
Thelma was a member of the Egypt Christian Church, Order of the Eastern Star and U. S. Embassy Wife’s Club. She was an entrepreneur and owned her own floral design company, but the joy of her life was being a loving wife to Don and mother to Tom and Tim.
She is survived by her two sons Thomas Anthony Garcia (Daria) of Fallbrook, CA and Timothy William Garcia of Asheville, NC; three grandchildren, Michael, Marina and Marissa; a brother Rev. Paul Patton (Carol) of Columbia; three sisters, Helen Meredith (Marvin) of Kingsport, TN, Shirley Hansford (William, deceased) of Liberty, and Wanda Frederick (Gary) of Cincinnati, Ohio; several nieces, nephews, friends and other relatives also survive.
In addition to her parents and husband she was preceded in death by two brothers, Nathaniel Patton and Herman Patton, and three sisters, Dorothy Patton, Linda Sue Patton and Hilda Ellis.
Mrs. Garcia chose cremation and a celebration of life service will be at 11 a.m., August 27, 2021 at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home. Visitation will be on Friday after 10 a.m. at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home.
