Ramon Antonio Garcia

Dr. Ramon A. Garcia, M.D. went to be with our Lord in Heaven on Sunday, December 22, 2024 after passing away in a Temple Hospital. He was born onNovember 5, 1940 in Del Rio, Texas to Refugio Garcia and Maria Guerra Garcia.

As a young man, he worked at the family business - Garcia Brothers Grocery Store. He was known for his excellence in baseball at his beloved Sacred Heart Academy where he attended grade school, middle school and high school. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend the University of Texas at Austin graduating with a BS in Microbiology. His future aspirations to become a physician began. After graduation, he attended Medical School at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. Upon completion of medical school he went on to Internship at Tulane University, Family Practice Residency the University of Texas at El Paso, and Family Practice Residency/Instructor of Family Practice at Texas Tech University. He graduated as the first Hispanic graduate of the Family Practice Specialty from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in May of 1974.

He married his childhood sweetheart, and love of his life, Berta Elena Chavarria on June 18, 1967. They shared their lives together in San Luis Potosi, New Orleans, Belle Chase, El Paso, Lubbock and eventually settled back to their hometown of Del Rio -- where he set up his solo medical practice for 25 years.

In 1998, he decided to change his specialty in order to become a Trauma Physician and closed his medical practice to pursue working as an Emergency Room Physician. He practiced at Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Connally Memorial Hospital, South Texas Regional Medical Center, Hondo Memorial Hospital, Uvalde Memorial Hospital, Starr County Memorial Hospital, Guadalupe Valley Memorial Hospital and Hill Country Memorial Hospital. He eventually accepted a full time position at Hill Country Memorial in Fredericksburg, Texas where he lived with his beloved wife Berta and continued to practice medicine until his retirement in 2021.

Throughout his medical career he made a myriad of medical accomplishments and certifications:Fellow American Academy of Family Practice, Certified American Board of Family Practice, Recertified American Board of Family Medicine 1982, 1988, 1994, 2001, ACLS Certified, ATLS Certified and PALS Certified

Some of his professional accolades include:

Clinic Consultant - Mental Health Clinic Del Rio Texas 1974 - 1995,

Team Physician San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District 1974-1998

Chief of Staff Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Del Rio, Texas, 1984- 2000

ACLS Instructor, 1985 – 2000

TAFP Preceptorship Program, 1988 – 2007

Executive Board of The Del Rio Bank & Trust Del Rio, Texas, 1986 - 1990

Chief of Staff Val Verde Regional Medical Center, 1991 - 1998

Course Director - ACLS Provider Course Fort Duncan Medical Hospital. Eagle Pass, TX, 1991 - 1998

Course Director - ACLS Provider Course Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Del Rio, TX, 1992 - 1998

Course Director - ACLS Provider Course, Uvalde Memorial Hospital, Uvalde, TX 1992- 1998

Board Member - City of Del Rio International Bridge, Del Rio, TX, 1992 - 1998

Chairman TAFP Minority Health Committee, 1994 - 1995

Chairman Clinical Activities Committee Val Verde Regional Medical Center, 1994-1996

Member AAFP Minority Health Committee, 1994 - 1998

Member Executive Committee Val Verde Regional Medical Center, Del Rio, Texas, 1994 - 1998

Member of Area Health education Center (AHEC) Advisory Committee San Antonio, Texas, 1994 - 2003

Director of Val Verde Regional Medical Center Emergency Department, Del Rio, Texas, 1994 - 2003

Director of Val Verde Regional Medical Center EMS Services, Del Rio, Texas, 1994 - 1998

Director Sterling Emergency Room Services at Val Verde Regional Medical Center , Del Rio, Texas, 1997 - 1998

Chief of Staff Val Verde Regional Medical Center Del Rio, Texas, 1998 - 2003

Director of ER Services for Emcare at Val Verde Regional Medical Center, 2001-2021

Member of ER Staff at Hill Country Memorial Hospital, Fredericksburg, Texas, 2001-2021

Director of Gillespie County EMS Services, 2003-2020

Member Executive Committee at Hill Country Memorial Hospital, Fredericksburg, Texas, 2006-2021

Medical Director, Ave Maria Hospice Fredericksburg, Texas 2009-2012

He was an active member in the following organizations: Texas Medical Association, American Medical Association, Texas Academy of Family Physicians, AAFP Minority Member, Val Verde County Medical Society, Member Credentials Committee TAFP, Director TAFP Southwest Chapter, American College of Emergency Physicians, Texas College of Emergency Physicians, Medical Consultant for The LBJ National Park Service - Johnson City, TX, Member St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Charter Member of The Del Rio Council for the Arts, Lifetime Member of University of Texas Texas Exes.

All the aforementioned lifetime of excellence pales in comparison to his passion for life. He lived for his patients...but he also lived to love LIFE. He enjoyed anything outdoors, especially hunting at the Moody Ranch with his nephews, brothers, son in law and even his daughter and granddaughter. He even got the opportunity to be Dr. on the set for several movies filmed in Del Rio, such as ‘Lonesome Dove’ and James Mitchner’s ‘Texas’ just to name a few.

He loved to fish and even went duck hunting. He loved to travel. He spent annual trips traveling to Ruidoso with Dr. Larry Lindenschmidt and their entire families. He loved competitive games of racquetball with his beloved Dr. L. There were trips all across the country with his family and friends and a multitude of trips to medical conventions all across the country. He traveled to Italy and Argentina where he got to learn to Tango. He loved trips to Houma Louisiana where he would spend time cooking with his nephews and enjoying their extremely special times together.

He absolutely adored his granddaughter Mackenzie - who gave him immense joy through their close bond and his Gigi was the blessing he thanked the Lord for each and every day. The love he had for his girls was immeasurable.

When Dr. Garcia retired and moved to Hutto, Texas to be closer to their only daughter and two granddaughters, it was during the height of the Covid 19 Pandemic the future fate was uncertain. Fate eventually led to them moving in to live with their daughter and her husband in Pflugerville. Dr. Garcia continued his passion to heal by volunteering his medical skills at the Sacred Heart Community Clinic at St. William Catholic Church in Round Rock, Texas until his health began to fail in late 2021. He lived the last years of his life thriving at Creekside Terrace Nursing Home in Belton, Texas.

Celebration of Life services for Dr. Ramon Garcia will be held at 2pm on Friday, January 17th at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Fredericksburg, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Ruben Garcia and sister, Licha Tyler.

Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Berta Garcia of Salado; daughter Melissa Duncan and her husband Randy of Salado; son Jason Garcia of San Antonio; brother Robert Garcia of San Antonio; granddaughter Mackenzie Duncan of Georgetown and Fiance Austin Lake; granddaughter Gigi Garcia of Pflugerville; numerous cousins, nephews and nieces across the United States.