The husband of one of the murdered teachers in Uvalde died of a heart attack on Thursday, two days after the shooting at the school that also killed another teacher and 19 children.
In a tweet, a relative confirmed that Joe Garcia, Irma Garcia’s husband for 24 years, “died from the pain.” They were beloved high school and parents of four children.
“I’m really speechless about how we feel,” tweeted John Martinez, Irma Garcia’s nephew. “PRICE FOR OUR FAMILY. God have mercy on us, this is not easy.
said Martinez The New York Times Joe Garcia visited his wife’s memorial on Thursday morning to drop off flowers. When he got home, “he practically just fell,” he said.
Related: What do we know about the Uvalde school shooting
Irma Garcia, a fourth-grade teacher, was 49 years old. He was in his 23rd year of teaching at Robb Elementary School, according to his biography on the school’s website.
In 2019, Garcia was named a finalist for the Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching, awarded to outstanding professors in the San Antonio area by Trinity University.
A GoFundMe page created for her family and funeral expenses described the longtime educator and mother of four as “sweet, kind, loving.” GoFundMe raised more than $ 170,000 in less than 12 hours.
“He sacrificed himself by protecting the children in his classroom,” says the donation page. “She was a hero. She was loved by many and we will really miss her.”