Maria Christina Garcia

Maria Christina Garcia, “Chris,” of Shawnee, Kansas died on December 5, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. The day was mild, and the afternoon light was soft and golden; Christina was surrounded by family and loved ones. She was 59.

Christina was born on April 28, 1964, in Kansas City, the fourth of six children. She worked at Yellow Freight for thirty-three years, and married husband Raymond in 1995. She embraced those she loved on their own terms, embodying what it meant to be a gentle and fiercely loving wife, mother, grandmother, daughter and niece, sister and cousin, and comadre.

Holidays and reunions were well attended not only because no one could rival Christina’s sopa de arroz, but because she was the person who connected with extended family to make sure we gathered, celebrated, mourned, and loved one another. She was a parishioner of St. Joseph in Shawnee for forty years, and led a life of service in faith. Christina’s presence alone taught deference to what it means to be family.

Christina is survived by her husband Raymond; sons Marc and Christopher; grandchildren Jasper and Elena; parents Robert and Teresa Pedroza; siblings Roberto (Lara), Maria Teresa “Terry,” Miguel (Susan), Javier (Rebecca), and Edward (Lisa); many aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, godchildren, and lifelong friends.

Visitation will be December 15 from 9:30-10:30 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church (11311 Johnson Drive), with Mass at 10:30 AM. Burial at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery (8300 Quivira) will follow.