Shirley Hooper-Garcia

Shirley HooperGarcia passed away on October 24, 2014 at her home in Roswell, NM after lengthy battle with cancer. She will lie in state at LaGrone Funeral Chapel, 900 South Main St., Roswell, NM on Friday October 31st from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 1st from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Visitors welcome. Her funeral service will be held on Saturday, November 1st at 4:00 p.m. at Grace Community Church, 935 W. Mescalero, Roswell, NM, with Pastor Sean Lee officiating.

An additional visitation and memorial will take place at the State Capitol Rotunda in Santa Fe, NM on November 7, 2014. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with the service immediately following. Her ashes will be buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. A memorial will also take place at the Lovington, NM cemetery at a later date.

Born on November 5, 1935 in Meadow, Texas to Isom F. and Lena C. Gregory Collier, Shirley was one of 13 siblings. She is survived by two sisters, Betty Beatty and LaVida Kinnear and husband Wayne, all of Roswell. She was predeceased in death by her parents, husband Edward P. Garcia, brothers Jake and Joe Collier and sisters Lillian Hall, Nona Tootsie Vinson, Jackie Church, Ruby Rodgers, Frances Frankie Kizziah, Bobbie Lavash, and Maxine Raburn.

Shirley and her family moved to Lovington, NM in 1939, where she graduated from high school in 1953. She has lived in Lovington, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Portales and Hobbs. In her early years she worked for private law firms as a legal secretary, then in 1959 she began her career in the New Mexico state government. She was the secretary to the Speaker of the New Mexico House of Representatives she also worked as the Assistant Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives and as legal secretary to two judges for the Supreme Court of Appeals. Shirley then went on to serve as New Mexico Secretary of State, and after that as Lea County Clerk. She was Administrator for the Hobbs Office of State Public Defender, then Chief Deputy of the Santa Fe County Clerks office. She served on the New Mexico School for the Deaf Board of Regents and was one of the founders of the International Association of the Parents for the Deaf. Shirley took pride in volunteering for many organizations for children with disabilities.

She is survived by her sons John Hooper of Santa Fe, NM, Greg Hooper and his children Zachary and Taylor of Chandler, AZ, her stepsons Scott Lucky of Post Falls, Idaho, Anthony Garcia his wife Karen and their children Anthony, Trevor, and Nicholas of Temecula, CA, Ted Garcia of Chula Vista, CA, and Reuben Garcia his wife Andrea and their children, Jessica, Parker, and Joseph of Canyon Country, CA. She also leaves numerous loving cousins, nieces, nephews and a host of friends.

The family would like to thank Dr. Tareq Braik, MD and his staff, Gentiva Hospice, Comfort Keepers and other caregivers for their passion and caring for Shirley throughout her illness.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Grace Community Church at 935 W. Mescalero, Roswell, NM 88201 or the charity of ones choice.

Condolences may be made online at www.lagronefuneralchapels.com
Arrangements are under the personal care of LaGrone Funeral Chapel

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