Celia Garcia Wood, 91, of Anacortes, died peacefully at her home March 16, 2005. She was six days short of her 92nd birthday. Celia was born March 23, 1913, in New Braunfels, Texas, the daughter of Ygnacio and Teresa (Robles) Garcia. As a young woman, Celia was employed at her family’s dry cleaning business for several years. Later in life, she became a homemaker and a loving, devoted mother, grandmother, and sister.

Celia was first and above all, a woman of great love, pride, beauty and dignity. She was passionate, compassionate, and extremely intelligent with a wicked sense of humor. Celia found both good and humor in almost anyone or any situation. She loved her four girls and her family. The family matriarch, “Aunt Celi” was the glue and very fiber of the Garcia Clan, always ready and willing to come to the aid of a loved one in need.

Her love of nature, hiking, fishing, and camping, yielded only to her love of cooking, “the best cook in the whole family” who consumed cookbooks as most others would consume novels. A woman of deep and abiding faith and courage, she instilled in her children a profound sense of justice, and a desire to make the world a better place, each in their own way. Celia was a gifted seamstress who could stretch a home budget with her creativity and imagination and always seemed to have enough left over for those less fortunate.

She was patriotic, a longtime auxiliary member of the American Legion Post TPatch 568 of San Antonio, Texas and an honorary MEChistA of W.W. University Chapter.

Always a progressive thinker, and a champion of the underdog, at age 91, Celia participated in the annual Migrant Farm Workers Solidarity March in the summer of 2004, a true Rose of Texas. Her legacy of passion for life, caring for others, and love, will live on in the hearts of the countless lives she touched. Celia will forever remain our “Reina, our Queen.”

She was preceded in death by two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Wood, Virginia Wood Foret; one son, David Anthony Wood; three brothers, Joseph Garcia, Leo Garcia, Sr., David Garcia; and one sister, Emma Vargas.

She is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Janis and Dr. James Edwards of Sugar Land, Texas, Jacqueline and Dr. Robert Juhl of Anacortes, Nanette Garcia-Wood of Venice, Calif.; son-in-law, Mr. Frank Foret of Addis, La.; sister-in-law, Evangeline Garcia of San Antonio, Texas; grandchildren, Stephen Foret of Los Angeles, Joel Edwards of Denton, Texas, Megan Edwards of Sugar Land, Cecily Hazelrigg of Bellingham, Stephany Hazelrigg of Bellingham; step-grandchildren, Hans Juhl of Oak Harbor, Nicholas Juhl of Seattle, Courtney Juhl of Seattle, Allison Juhl of Seattle; great-grandchildren, Anya Hazelrigg of Bellingham, Austin Smith of Sugar Land, Joseph Edwards of Denton, Texas, Brooke Edwards-Placide of Sugar Land, Texas. Heather Foret of Los Angeles; brother and sister-in-law, Mr. Leo and Sandy Garcia, Jr. of Spokane; sisters, Mrs. Virginia McVay of San Antonio, Texas, Mrs. Ninfa Chavez-Humble of San Antonio, Texas; 14 beloved nieces; and nine beloved nephews.

Rosary will be held at 5 p.m., Monday, March 21, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mount Vernon. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:15 p.m., Tuesday, March 22, at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, followed by a reception at Immaculate Conception’s St. Joseph’s Center. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 23, at Grand View Cemetery in Anacortes. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory, Anacortes. Share memories of Celia and sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com.