Carlos Manuel Garcia Pardo
December 18, 2023
Carlos Garcia passed away on Monday, December 18, 2023, at the age of 84 at Victoria Hospital, London, Ontario. He was predeceased by his parents Julia Pardo de Garcia and Eloy Alberto Garcia Martínez as well as his brothers Osvaldo and Oscar. He is survived by: his wife and best friend of more than 50 years, Bertha Garcia (née Mispireta); daughter, Carla Susana; son, Luis Manuel; son, Francisco Javier; daughter-in-law, Tara Ann (née Meecham); his granddaughters Aurora Selena, Chloe Sabrina, Morgan Manuela, and Keira Elena; his sisters Aydée and Gladys; and countless nieces and nephews.
Carlos was born and raised in Arjona, in the Bolívar region of Colombia. As the eldest son of a cattle-ranching family, he learned the family trade and was deeply immersed in the rural life of la costa (Colombia’s Caribbean coast). As a child, for example, he used to ride to elementary school on horseback. In order to attend high school, he moved to Cartagena, where he studied at the Colegio de la Salle boarding school. He accomplished the rare feat of entering medical school immediately after high school, at the University of Cartagena. After two years of training in internal medicine in Bogotá, he was accepted to the prestigious National Institute of Cardiology in Mexico City; after completing his training he returned to Cartagena to practice as a cardiologist.
It was during his time in Mexico City that Carlos met his future wife, Bertha, in 1968. They bonded through their shared love of dancing, especially cumbia. After four years of courtship (as Bertha completed her own medical school training in Peru), they became engaged and subsequently married in 1972. A year later, they immigrated to Canada, where Carlos retrained as a family physician.
Carlos’s lifelong passions clustered around nature: trees, birds, and horses. Although he loved all things arboreal, he reserved particular reverence for ancient trees. A highlight of his life was visiting the 5000-year-old yew tree growing in the Brecon Beacons national park in Wales. He was also an avid birdwatcher, with a special interest in raptors. He had an uncanny knack for identifying birds by their songs or their silhouettes in flight. As an experienced Colombian rancher and equestrian, he helped to found a Paso Fino horse breeding operation in Lambeth, Ontario (Lampaso). Some of Lampaso’s horses went on to have highly decorated careers in equestrian competitions across the Americas, while their descendants can now be found in multiple provinces and states in North America.
True to his Colombian roots, Carlos cultivated a deep passion for baseball; he was an ardent supporter of the Toronto Blue Jays (World Series 1992, 1993) and the Chicago Cubs (2016). Having grown up during the final years of World War II, he retained an abiding fascination for the history of both the first and second great wars of the early twentieth century. He was particularly fascinated by early aviation history as well as how these conflicts shaped our present-day geopolitical landscape. Perhaps most importantly—and most consistently—Carlos loved eating: he was a true gourmand. His favourite restaurant was Malibu, where he always ordered the souvlaki dinner. His Caribbean roots also showed in his love for ice cream, sorbets, tropical fruit, and anything sweet. He delighted in Mexican cuisine, Peruvian seafood, and anything his wife made; indeed, he enjoyed her cooking until his very last day of life. As a Colombian, he came by his love of coffee naturally, although his tastes in coffee-based beverages knew no boundaries; in his later years, he discovered the wonders of the Italian caffè corretto.
Many thanks to the caregiving team at WWMD as well as the medical staff at London Health Sciences Centre and Parkwood Hospital. The family was especially moved by the kindness and professionalism of the nurses at both institutions. A cremation has taken place and the internment of his remains will be determined in the future. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to make a donation in memory of Carlos are asked to consider the Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre.
Carlos Manuel Garcia Pardo will be remembered as an extremely empathic, knowledgeable, and easygoing father, husband, and physician. Those who had the privilege of hearing the stories of his youth would come to appreciate his clever and mischievous humor, impeccable in its timing and brevity.
Messages and condolences may be left at www.forestcitycremation.com. Please visit Carlos’ obituary notice on Facebook.