Irene Carroll Garcia Barnett peacefully passed away on the morning of June 23, 2014, at Lake Cherokee, Texas. Irene was born in Houston, Texas, on January 21, 1945. She was the second child of eight born to Mary and I.T. Garcia. She was raised in Houston until she was 17 when she and her family moved to Dallas, Texas. She was married to Charles Barnett briefly and had a daughter, Kimberly.
Irene worked for Neiman Marcus for thirty-seven years in Dallas, Addison, Longview and briefly in multiple cities all over the world. Irene was a sales clerk in 1964 at the Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas. She worked hard and proved to be industrious, intelligent and a strong leader. Her promotions took her through children’s apparel, into the toy department where eventually she became the toy buyer for Neiman’s and enjoyed world travel. Her flare for creating unique environments made the toy department a wondrous place where life size tigers stood beside baby elephants. She left briefly and worked as a traveling toy sales representative for Mary McManneman and Associates at the World Trade Center in Dallas, Texas. Her territory covered Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and New Mexico. She worked in Houston, Texas at The Original Christmas Store. Eventually she returned to Neiman Marcus to the Distribution Center in Addison and eventually to Longview. Irene made many friends along the way.
Irene was a resident of Highland Village for many years. She was just blocks from Lake Lewisville. She enjoyed decorating her house and working in her yard. Irene took advantage of living near the city of Dallas by taking in the festivals, art galleries, music venues, concerts, live theatre, musicals and plays. Irene had tons of energy and was always on the go. Eventually, through a work transfer, she found her own personal slice of heaven on Lake Cherokee in Tatum, Texas.
Irene was known for her gardening skills. She was truly a master gardener. She could make anything grow in the sandy East Texas soil. And she did. Her yard was beautiful with every kind of plant imaginable. Something was always coming up and blooming. She knew the names of everything, where they came from and who gave them to her. Irene said she felt the closest to God when she was working in her yard.
It is hard to say which she did best, garden or cook. She always loved beauty and being outdoors. It was a thrill to her senses to feel the soil crumble in her fingers, the sun shining on her shoulders. She loved to step back and see the growth and the beauty that she was able to create herself. She put in flower beds, patios, decks, walkways not only in her yards, but in her sisters’ yards and her daughter’s yard. She knew how to make simple objects become elegant and she wanted to share her gifts with the people she loved. Her senses were always so aware of color, shapes, flavors, sounds. She loved to cook. Cook isn’t even adequate to describe what she did in the kitchen. When you were invited to her house, you could expect to be fed gloriously. She loved to serve beautiful food that made your mouth water, your nostrils flare and your eyes brighten all with a backdrop of her favorite play lists of never ending melodies, every genre represented, decades blended, opera, rock, jazz, blues. She always made you feel something.
Whenever Irene and her sisters got together, food and recipes were always the topic. In her final year, she put together a family cookbook. What a legacy to leave to her family.
She hosted many parties on Lake Cherokee. Her small lake house would be filled with close friends, laughter, and music. You could always count on lots of gourmet food delicious mixed drinks. She was always about presentation and it showed. She kept a well-stocked bar and was a fantastic bartender. Cosmos were her favorite for a very long time. She was certainly the hostess with the mostess.
Her summers were usually spent working and entertaining her two grandsons, David and Chase. She introduced them to the La Tourneau and taekwondo. She gave them electronics of all kinds. She enjoyed spending time with them at the lake. The fourth of July at the lake was always special to her and her family.
A year after her retirement she discovered she had cancer and the battle was on. She had surgery and then a series of chemotherapies. She was cancer free for about fourteen months when it returned. Irene chose to go to M. D. Anderson in Houston. For three years she traveled back and forth to Houston for treatment. She stayed with her sister Shirley. She took many rounds of chemo, many rounds of radiation, more surgery and a few hospital stays. Even though she had the best care in the world she finally decided on Memorial Day weekend 2014 to return to her beloved lake house on Lake Cherokee to spend her final days. The Hospice of East Texas cared for her and made her comfortable. She was able to enjoy her flowers and gardens, birds and squirrels, and the gorgeous views and sunsets on Lake Cherokee.
Irene is survived by her daughter, Kimberly Barnett, her two grandsons, David and Chase Dupler; her sisters, Shirley Grass; Pat Bolin and husband Bryan; and Donna Gregory; her brothers, Larry Garcia and wife Donna; and Gary Garcia and wife Cindi. Also included are her nieces and nephews, Meghan and Derek Blackwell, Lauren and Trent Walker, Scott Garcia, Brian and Sue Jackson, Sheryl and Scott Brown, George Grass, Susan Magana and Sarah Keith. She is also survived by her great nieces and nephews who absolutely adored their “Aunt B”, Lily Walker, Jessika, Amanda, Olivia and Jake Grass, Isabelle Brown, Brandon Zaratti, Spencer and Sam Keith, and Kelsey and Lucas Jackson. She is preceded in death by her parents and brothers Ricky and Gerald Garcia and long-time friend John Long.
Irene chose to be cremated and her ashes will be placed in the cremation garden at Sparkman Hillcrest in Dallas where her parents and brothers are buried. There will be two memorials. The first one will be on July 10, 2014 at 7 p.m. at Lake Cherokee at the clubhouse. The second service will be on July 12, 2014 at 10 a.m. at Sparkman Hillcrest at the pavilion on the lake at the main entrance.
For directions to the memorial locations click on the picture that shows the location you will be attending.
Memorial Donations, if desired, can be made to Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd, Tyler, TX. They are a nonprofit agency that serves 26 counties in Texas. They care for people in their homes regardless of insurance, regardless of income. They cared for my mother. They were professional, available at any hour of the day or night. They allowed her to stay at home where she was comfortable and she did not have to do without anything.
We are so thankful for the beauty she brought into our lives. May she rest in peace.