They say it's better to have loved and lost than to not have loved at all. On August 17th, 1942, Orlando 'Sonny' Garcia Sr. was born in El Paso, Texas, a proud 'Tex-Mex.' He later moved to San Francisco with his parents, Eduardo and Maria De Jesus Sanchez Garcia, and his seven siblings: Dora, Teresa, Nedy, Olga, Maria, Amy, and Eddie. San Francisco became his home, and he became a huge fan of all the city's teams -Warriors, Giants, and of course the 49ers! Though he would never admit it, he enjoyed watching his birth state team the Dallas Cowboys. He soon met Margaret Rosa, and as the story goes, they married and welcomed their pride and joys; Orlando Jr., Antonio, and Tito Garcia. Though the two ultimately divorced, they remained dedicated and loving parents to their sons.

Throughout his life, Sonny held a wide range of jobs from cashier, to working for PG&E, to even being a co-owner to a bar in the heart of the Mission. He was the true definition of work hard, play harder; getting the job done, but with fun. He later retired as a Security Guard, and with all the time he had, he fully dived into what he loved the most; food, entertainment, and family.

He loved his Mexican and fast food. A BK Whopper Jr., McDonald's coffee, or a Wendy's Frosty always made his day. He could often be found relaxing in his recliner, watching his favorite scary movies - Michael Myers, Jason, Chucky, just to name a few. He loved them so much, he even wore them proudly on his t-shirts of course it had to be burgundy, his favorite color. Occasionally, you'd catch him laughing at George Lopez , casting spells with the Power of

Three ( Charmed ), and clapping along to American Idol , The Voice , or WWE Smackdown. If you heard him singing, it was likely to his favorite artists - Gloria Estefan, Cher, or Janet Jackson. He also had a soft spot for the oldies-but-goodies like The Commodores, Linda Ronstadt, and Pete Wingfield. No matter the day, Sonny made it his own.

His free time came to a halt in July 2024, when Orlando was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. The things he loved most, slowly became difficult for him to enjoy. But if you knew Sonny, you know he stayed in high spirits. During chemo and radiation, he was always positive, smiling, and making the nurses laugh. "GARCIA STRONG," as he would always say. That and, "I said, I said, I said," quoting his favorite cartoon character, Foghorn Leghorn. His energy kept through and after a year of treatment, by the grace of God, he beat the cancer! Although he couldn't enjoy everything, Sonny was back to dancing and watching his favorites - for a little while at least.

In July 2025, he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. From then on, life became back-and-forth ER visits, hospital stays, and IV drips. Sonny stayed strong, always reassuring his visitors he was alright, always putting his best foot forward with a wink and a grin. A true fighter to the end. On February 10th, 2026, with his three boys and son-in-law by his side, Orlando "Sonny" Garcia Sr. passed away in the early morning hours in Antioch, California, where he had spent the last 12 years of his life.

Sonny, a nickname fit for a king. Warm, loving, and sure to put a smile on everything it touches. He was always unapologetically himself and for that we love and will miss him the most. We hope that every time you watch a scary movie, catch a 49ers game, listen to oldies, grab a Wendy's Frosty or Taco Bell box - you think of Orlando "Sonny" Garcia Sr., and you smile.

Sonny is survived by his kids, Orlando, Antonio,and Tito. His grandchildren: Anjeanette, Whitney, Grayson (passed), Orlando III, Julia, Emma, Marcello, Xavier, Antonio, Mariah, Melina, Marissa, Adrianna, Joevani; and his great-grandchildren: Gabriel, Isabel, MaKayla, Antonio III, Adrena, Juelz, Julian, Wynter, We'Adore, Nalani, Ilias, Kaeoni, Kazilah, Arilahnii, baby to be, and son-in-law Santos and daughter-in-law Yvonne.