Heavenly Doves

Garcia Mortuary marked three decades of growth in Oxnard at a 30th anniversary celebration Friday.

A procession of speakers drew a vivid picture of how the mortuary, founded by Robert Garcia Sr. and his wife, Martha, started out in a tiny 600-square-foot building at 629 South A St. The business now occupies more than 15,000 square feet and is bordered by additional acreage the family owns, according to Robert Garcia Jr., one of the couple's children.

Garcia Mortuary, the first Latino-owned and -operated funeral home in Ventura County, added a small chapel in 1980 and was "revitalized" in 1997.

The mortuary has grown from handling 22 funerals in its first year, to more than 350 a year.

"This was one of the first successful Latino enterprises in Oxnard," commented former Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi. Before its founding, "there was no funeral home to look after the needs of the Hispanic community," said 85-year-old Takasugi, whose father established Asahi Market just around the corner in 1907.

"Remember whens" were traded among almost 100 people packed into Tomas' Cafe and Gallery across the street from the mortuary to mark the anniversary. Co-owner with cousin Ross Ruiz is Thomas Garcia, another of the founders' children.

Master of ceremonies was Edgar Mohorko, minister of Messiah Foursquare Church, who talked about how the area around the mortuary has grown. He recalled when A Street area businesses included Oxnard Hardware and McMahans furniture (the latter now is a billiards operation).

Robert and Martha Garcia Sr. have five children: Jesus, Robert Jr., Lorena, Thomas and Reyna. "I'm really blessed. Today is a very special time, and I've enjoyed the community," Robert Garcia Sr. said.

"It's a very joyful day," commented his wife, crediting the family's well-known involvement of several generations to unity. "We were always together, we always kept an eye on them."

"Whatever it takes for our community, we do it," said daughter Lorena, who in 1997 became the first licensed Mexican female funeral director in Ventura County. "No fooling, the mortuary is like our mother. It's not just a mortuary, it's where we grew up, lived and shared our home. It is our heart. We gave it our all. It is not all about services, it's about family."

Terry Luna praised the mortuary's assistance when her husband, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Joe Luna, died. "I could not have put together such a huge undertaking," a service to meet her husband's request for a firefighter's funeral.

Oxnard Councilman John Zaragoza said the Garcia family business "was part of the revitalization of downtown Oxnard" and that it "accommodated people who didn't have money to bury their folks."

County Supervisor John Flynn presented a resolution recognizing Funeraria Garcia Mortuary for its "reputation for honesty, integrity and professionalism" and its many community services.

After the ceremony, Robert Garcia Jr. said the mortuary will be expanding to a second location and got the keys Friday for the spot in Santa Paula. "It is in a beautiful Victorian home, at 830 Santa Paula St., next to St. Sebastian's Church," said Robert Garcia Sr.