Benito Ruiz Garcia

Benito Ruiz Garcia, age 83, of Alma, died Wednesday, April 10, 2013, at Covenant Hospital in Saginaw.

Benito was born June 29, 1929, in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Vicente and Preciliana (Ruiz) Garcia. Benito was a man of great integrity. He was a man of his word. A perfectionist, he was known for his work as a cement finisher at which he worked for 40 years. He started working in a steel factory in Ohio at the age of fourteen and continued to work at many different types of work throughout his life, and was always working at something every day. He had a wonderful sense of humor, loved to fish, travel, dance and play bingo. He loved his family, and was devoted to them, imparting the lessons he had learned in life at every opportunity. Because of his easy personality, he was called Gentle Ben.

Benito is survived by his wife, Oralia R. Garcia, of Alma; his children, Benito J. Garcia of Saginaw, Ranialdo J. Garcia of Denver, Maria Carapia of Ithaca, Rose Cortez of Midland, Estella Juarez of Alma, Rebecca (Michael) Fawcett of Ithaca, and 
Andres (Kelly) Garcia of Alma; 18 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; and his sisters, Tomasita (Domingo) Rodriguez of Ithaca and Consuelo (Nicolas) Hernandez of Saginaw. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Juanita Garcia; his grandson, Michael J. Garcia; and his sister and brothers, Simon, Cruz, Jose, Pablo, and Cecilia Flores.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. Monday, April 15, 2013, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alma, with Father James Bessert officiating. Interment will follow in Mt. Rest Cemetery in St. Johns. Visitation will be 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Sunday, April; 14, at the Barden Funeral Home in Ithaca, with a Rosary at 4 p.m.