Barbara Harrison Garcia
May 17, 1950 – March 26, 2025
Barbara Harrison Garcia died of cancer on March 26, 2025. She was born in Cairo, GA on May 17, 1950. Her parents were Iris Dollar Harrison and Howard (Pete) Harrison. Barbara lived her entire life in Grady County – she was part of at least four generations on both sides of her family who called Grady County home. The Dollars and Harrisons had farms and one of Barbara’s earliest memories was watching cotton being picked and she wanted to pick some, too. But the adult cotton sacks were way too big for her, so her mother made her a little one from a flour sack and off she went to join the pickers. As she grew older, and as most children back then had to do with parents who worked the land, she had her own row to hoe, a chore to help keep the weeds down.
She attended Shiver School and Cairo High School, graduating in 1968. She received her Bachelor and Master degrees in education from Valdosta State University and her Specialist Degree from Nova University. In 1978 Barbara began her teaching career at Northside Elementary School where she taught first grade. She was promoted to Instructional Coordinator at Northside and later at Eastside Elementary until her retirement in 2007. She gives special thanks to Cindy Maxwell and the late Judy Harrison for their help during her years at Northside – “I couldn’t have made it through without them,” she often said.
She was active in the GREA (Grady Retired Educators.) She volunteered at the Help Agency from 2007 until the present, serving as head Counselor and several terms as President of the board. She also served on the board of Department of Family and Children Services. Barbara loved to garden (famous for her tomatoes!), to cook and travel.
Barbara married Denmark Garcia in 1983. When they met he was a new teacher who sold Tupperware on the side – what a way to meet women! And it worked – how many plastic containers he persuaded her to buy we’ll never know, but he must have been convincing because he found his life-long mate in Barbara. During those 42 years they had many travel adventures together with several trips to Canada, out West and throughout the Northeast. They kept a sailboat, “The Super Sloop,” at the yacht club in Panama City, sailing to their favorite place, Shell Island, many times. Barbara took trips with her sister, Betty, to ski in Colorado, to New York City to see shows on Broadway, and to London. Another special trip was to the Czech Republic with her best friend, the late Teri Phillips. And it’s impossible to count the number of nights they had fun, playing their favorite card game of Hearts with their good friends the Rays, Johnsons and Phillips.
Barbara is survived by her husband, Denmark and their children Jim West (Windi), Morgan Garcia (Deann); siblings Betty H. Huskey (Don), and John Harrison (Jenny.) Her grandchildren are Kelsey West, and Cade West (Mary Elizabeth.) Nephews are Jeremy Huskey, Coleman Harrison, Peyton Tyler Harrison and niece Kelly Huskey Rollo. She loved her special pets – dogs Precious Pooh, Banky, Weezer and numerous cats.
Barbara’s life was a life well lived. To know her was to love her and she will be greatly missed. Barbara’s final journey was eased immensely by the care and compassion of Mesha Hines and Whitney Thomas of Georgia Hospice.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. at the Clark Funeral Home Chapel, followed by visitation with the family.
If desired, donations may be made in Barbara’s memory to The Help Agency, P.O. Box 1452, Cairo GA 39828.
