F. A. "Gus" Garcia papers

F. A. “Gus” Garcia was born February 20, 1916, in Idalia, Colorado, the son of a distinguished rural physician and an Irish mother, the second of six children. Valedictorian of his class, he earned a full scholarship to the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating at age 20 with a BA in chemistry. In 1941 he earned his MD at the CU School of Medicine. Dr. Garcia interned at Kings County Hospital, New York City. From 1942 to 1947 he was in the US Navy serving as the medical officer on the USS Madison (DD 425) in the Atlantic and Mediterranean (6 combat stars). He was then sent to the U.S. Naval Hospital in Oakland, CA for training in surgery and later plastic surgery. He retired as a Captain in the Medical Corps United States Naval Reserve.

After his discharge from the Navy he continued his training in surgery and reconstructive plastic surgery at the Lahey Clinic in Boston and the Kings Bridge Veterans Hospital in New York City. He began private practice in Denver in 1950. From 1955-1965 Dr. Garcia was Acting Chief of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the CU School of Medicine. His professional roles have included Chief of Staff of the Children's Hospital, Chief of Surgery at St. Luke's Hospital and the Children's Hospital; and past President of the Denver Medical Society. Dr. Garcia has served on numerous boards including the Board of Denver Health and Hospitals, the CU Health Sciences Center's development boards as well as continuous service on the School of Medicine Admissions Committee.

For his outstanding service to the Children's Hospital, the Colorado Medical Society and the University of Colorado, Dr. Garcia has been honored with numerous awards. Those at CU include the University Medal and the George Norlin Award, the Silver and Gold Alumnae Award the first Edward R. Mugrage Award from the School of Medicine, and the Medical School Alumnae Award. The CU Medical School students voted to present him with an Honorary Membership in Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical scholastic society. He is an emeritus professor of clinical surgery at the University Of Colorado Medical School. He has been active in Denver Rotary and Colorado State Historical Society.

Garcia honored his father by establishing a scholarship fund at the University of Northern Colorado, and a Walking Stick Award at the University Of Colorado School Of Medicine, presented to a rural family doctor in recognition of outstanding service to the community and to the medical profession as a whole. He was proactive in his belief that the new University of Colorado Medical School Campus at Fitzsimons must join other top medical schools in the country in creating recreation centers where medical students and faculty meet informally and form lasting bonds, fostering their future financial support of CU Medical School.

Dr. Garcia died July 6, 2007 at the age of 91. He has a surviving wife, Trish Shepard Garcia, and his children, John Garcia of Albuquerque, NM, Susan Garcia of Flagstaff, AZ, Christine Bagshaw of Denver, Katie Matthias and a granddaughter, Madison, of Missoula, MT. He was preceded in death by former wives Juanita Garcia and Eloise Garcia.