Araceli “Mimi” Garcia

Araceli “Mimi” GARCIA Peña Diaz de los Santos passed away after a long illness, peacefully in her sleep on the afternoon of October 19, 2016 at the age of 94. She is predeceased by her beloved husband, Roland Garcia, parents, Ciria Diaz Campos and Jacinto Peña Lopez, and siblings, Raquel, Jacinto and Jose Peña Diaz.She is survived by her beloved son, Roland “Jay” Jacinto Garcia, daughter-in-law, Karen French Reynolds, and beloved grandson, Jeremy Roland Garcia. She has a surviving sister, Melba Vazquez Peña, in Santiago, Cuba. Before the limitations on travel to Cuba, she traveled to her home frequently to see her family that included many cousins, nieces and nephews.Born in Dos Palmas, and growing up in Oriente, Cuba she migrated to the United States shortly after obtaining her teaching degree from Escuela Normal para Maestros de Oriente, Cuba. She was ‘Alumno Eminente’ , #1 in her class. Araceli became a United States citizen in 1968. To be able to teach in the United States, she attended Saint Joseph University where she received her BS in Education and membership in the Alpha Sigma Lambda honor society. Araceli went on to Temple University where she earned her Master’s Degree in Education. She taught at Potter-Thomas Elementary School in Philadelphia for many years. She was a precise and devoted teacher with a legion of students who loved her. ‘Te hizo maestro que es hacerlo creador’ – Jose Marti (He made you a teacher which is to make you a creator)After retiring from teaching you would find Mimi tending to her house plants ~ a lemon tree and an orange tree, and other beautiful, immense tropical houseplants, traveling to Spain, and as often as possible to Cuba, and keeping in touch: with long phone calls with aunts, nieces and nephews, and especially with her first-cousins, Silvia (Peña Diaz) Fields, and Jacqueline (DeGrazia Garcia) Cook, and with hand written letters to her family in Cuba. Abuela attended many of Jeremy’s school and life events, and enjoyed many gatherings and the company of family and friends, and at every visit retold a childhood memory (as in this one: until 3rd grade/10 yrs old I attended a One Room schoolhouse in Dos Palmas, but the teacher had too many students, so I was sent to Palma Soriano to live with my grandmother Manuela and attend school there. I was sent even before my older brother, Jacinto, because my mother believed that women needed an education more than men, to be independent). Mimi lovingly and devotedly cared for her husband who lived with Alzheimer’s Disease the last 10 years of his life.To celebrate the memory of this ardent, caring, and spirited wife, mother, abuela and teacher, celebrate her joys: listen to her favorite composer, Ernesto Lecuona; eat a Cuban meal with congri, platanos and arroz con pollo; read some (especially keeping current with world politics), play some (like the Saturday night card games they would play with their friends, Myriam, and Caesar & Beatriz, Wilches), dance a cha cha cha, sing an old Cuban tune, be curious, care for children and always strive to be your best.The burial will be private, at Glenwood Memorial Gardens, Broomall, PA next to her husband, Roland. Araceli’s family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations via check or money order be sent in her memory, Araceli P Garcia, payable to: Potter Thomas Student Funds. Potter-Thomas Elementary School/Promise Academy, 3001 N 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19133.