José M. Garcia Jr., of Sanford, FL, passed away peacefully in the arms of his wife in the late afternoon of Wednesday, August 11, 2021, succumbing to a long battle with health issues. He was 64.

José was born in Niagara Falls, NY on October 7, 1956 and was the eldest son of his late parents, Anne May Garcia and José M. Garcia Sr. He is survived by his loving wife Jolee Stone, sons Joe Garcia and Fernando Maldonado, daughter Lorena Maldonado, sister Cara Kryzanowski (Kevin, Kelly, and Kevin Jr.), brother Victor Garcia (Jason and David) and an extensive, extended family that he looked forward to visiting with at the annual family reunion whenever he was able to return 'back home'.

José graduated from Lewiston Porter High School in 1974, studied at Niagara County Community College and within a few years, after the 'Blizzard of 1977', moved to Los Angeles, CA. There he began his lifelong profession working as a network/communications engineer in the technology industry which was in its infancy. He also lived in Denver, CO and moved to Central Florida in 1987 where he continued working as 'techie-dude extraordinaire' at Systeme and Fiserv software companies.

José was fascinated with music and at a very early age began to learn to play the guitar as he sat on his father's knees and Papa José held the guitar so he could reach the strings. José's passion was music. He was an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, was a well-respected and gifted guitar player and songwriter. He belonged to various bands over his lifetime, the last being 3 Bucksworth, as lead guitarist and vocals. Fanatic of the Beatles, José could play every instrumental part of every song they composed, even those that didn't go mainstream. The Beatles also turned him onto classical Indian music to the likes of Ravi Shankar and José was well versed in the 'raga' and valued the nuances of the sitar and tabla.

José was an independent thinker and eager to expand his knowledge and explore life's possibilities. He was a 'Trekkie', 'Star Wars Geek', 'Potterhead', 'Ringer' and enjoyed all things science fiction and high fantasy. He loved fast cars and motorcycles. Traveling and experiencing new sights and sounds (music) was at the top of his list. He was a non-fussy 'foodie' and appreciated street foods as well as the finest in dining. He was an excellent chef and excited to try new recipes and watch as family and friends savored his creations.

He was also a very caring and compassionate man with a tender heart. He would help anyone in any way so he could to make their lives a little easier and put a smile on their face. He loved it when he was able to make someone happy with his music, technical skills, a smile or hugs! He was an animal lover too and creatures knew it as they were drawn to him like magic to receive a pat or a good scratch.

Forever Loved. Forever Missed. Forever Remembered.

If love could have saved you José, you would have lived forever.

A Celebration of Life will be held on the evening of Friday, October 8. 2021 at 520 On the Water (event venue on Lake Monroe), 520 N. Palmetto Ave, Sanford, FL 32771 from 5:00 – 9:00 P.M.

In lieu of flowers, please donate in José's memory to the American Heart Association; www.heart.org

Also please visit www.degusipefuneralhome.com

The family of José "Hoser" M. Garcia, Jr. invites you to leave a message on his Tribute Wall.