Texas resident Joe Garcia, the husband of Irma Garcia, one of the two teachers who was killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, on Tuesday, died from a heart attack just two days after losing his wife in the school shooting that also killed 9 children. The couple had been together since high school and had four children, according to the Dallas Morning News.
Mr. Garcia’s death was confirmed in a tweet by a family member, saying he “passed away due to grief.”
“I truly am at a loss for words for how we are feeling,” John Martinez, Irma Garcia’s nephew, tweeted. “PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY. God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.”
According to the Dallas Morning News, Irma Garcia had been working at Robb Elementary School for 23 years when she was killed by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos. She was considered an accomplished educator. In 2019, she was named a finalist for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, which is awarded to exceptional teachers in the San Antonio area by Trinity University.
A GoFundMe page set up for her family and funeral expenses describes the longtime educator and mother of four as “sweet, kind, loving.”
“She sacrificed herself protecting the kids in her classroom,” the donation page says. “She was a hero. She was loved by many and will truly be missed.”
EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief, i truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling, PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy pic.twitter.com/GlUSOutRVV
— john martinez ❤️🔥 (@fuhknjo) May 26, 2022
