Leaving a Big Legacy
The late Eugene L. "Gene" Garcia lived his life without fanfare, but with great impact. Through his estate, Gene has quietly become one of Albuquerque's foremost philanthropists with a charitable trust that gifts annual interest earnings to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation and four local organizations. Gene's life is a classic rags-to-riches story. Raised by his grandparents, he was a sheep herder as a child and, as an adult, launched his own construction business, National Sales Inc. He retired at age 92 to care for his wife, Marie. He died in 2002 at age 98.
His company did extensive work for the Los Alamos-based Manhattan Project, which developed the world's first nuclear weapons. Hard work, ingenuity, and a "whatever-it-takes" approach were Gene's hallmarks. A prime example: He once painted two 200-foot smokestacks, inside and out.
A private man who never forgot his modest childhood, Gene was motivated to help others with his estate. The Eugene Garcia Charitable Trust has provided more than $2.5 million to the beneficiary organizations. Gene directed his perpetual trust to provide annual payments of interest income only, preserving the principal forever. Distributions to Presbyterian Healthcare Foundation have supported expansion of the Cardiovascular Lab at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center, among other things.
We are forever grateful to Gene for his everlasting legacy and generous support.