Bench in Memory of Gilbert Garcia
Donation protected
For Gilbert
Late last year we lost a wonderful friend and father, Gilbert Garcia. Although his heart gave out early morning November 19, all of us who knew him still feel that heart beating true when we see his beautiful children, when we remember the time we spent with him, and when we pass through the old neighborhood that marked his young life. Gilbert spent his teenage years stomping about the neighborhood around Howard Drive in Houston’s southeast side. His friends and family lived in this neighborhood or within a handful of miles of it. As kids we always referred to this area as “Gilbert’s Neighborhood” – a moniker that stuck with us even after he moved away. Hey, where was that old comic book store? Oh, in Gilberts Neighborhood. Which Ninfa’s are we meeting at? Well, the one in Gilbert’s Neighborhood, of course.
A Tribute in Gilbert’s Neighborhood
As the world does, Gilbert’s Neighborhood is also changing and a few projects are now underway in this area. The old Glenbrook Golf Course is being transformed into the Houston Botanic Garden. Directly north of the Botanic Garden, a new trail and landscaping along the Sims Bayou Greenway is connecting the neighborhood to nearby parks and offering some great amenities for the community.
Since this neighborhood belongs to Gilbert, it is fitting that we pay tribute to his legendary time here. Our plan is to install a memorial bench in Gilbert’s name along the bayou trail. It is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit and remember our friend. The tribute would be a backless wood bench and will include a small plaque where we are going to simply inscribe: “In loving memory of Gilbert Garcia”.
Photo of the section of the bayou trail.
All of the donations raised will go to the non-profit Houston Parks Board, which is responsible for maintaining the hike-and-bike trail, the adjacent greenspace, and installing and maintaining the bench. The final design of the trail, landscaping, benches, and the schedule for installation are still under development by the Houston Parks Board, but we are thinking the new bench will be placed either within the new section of trail or adjacent to Glenbrook Park. The exact location and style will be based on the final trail design. A tentative schedule for installation provided the Houston Parks Board is summer 2020.
The donations required for a backless wood bench is $5,000. Our goal is to raise $2,500 of that here on GoFundMe. As the Houston Parks Boards provides a more definitive design and schedule, we will update everyone. We also plan to host a small picnic once the bench is installed to celebrate Gilbert’s life.
Any amount is welcome and this page is available for anyone who wishes to contribute. Please share with anyone you think would be interested. Feel free to email me at [email redacted] if you have questions.
Late last year we lost a wonderful friend and father, Gilbert Garcia. Although his heart gave out early morning November 19, all of us who knew him still feel that heart beating true when we see his beautiful children, when we remember the time we spent with him, and when we pass through the old neighborhood that marked his young life. Gilbert spent his teenage years stomping about the neighborhood around Howard Drive in Houston’s southeast side. His friends and family lived in this neighborhood or within a handful of miles of it. As kids we always referred to this area as “Gilbert’s Neighborhood” – a moniker that stuck with us even after he moved away. Hey, where was that old comic book store? Oh, in Gilberts Neighborhood. Which Ninfa’s are we meeting at? Well, the one in Gilbert’s Neighborhood, of course.
A Tribute in Gilbert’s Neighborhood
As the world does, Gilbert’s Neighborhood is also changing and a few projects are now underway in this area. The old Glenbrook Golf Course is being transformed into the Houston Botanic Garden. Directly north of the Botanic Garden, a new trail and landscaping along the Sims Bayou Greenway is connecting the neighborhood to nearby parks and offering some great amenities for the community.
Since this neighborhood belongs to Gilbert, it is fitting that we pay tribute to his legendary time here. Our plan is to install a memorial bench in Gilbert’s name along the bayou trail. It is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit and remember our friend. The tribute would be a backless wood bench and will include a small plaque where we are going to simply inscribe: “In loving memory of Gilbert Garcia”.
Photo of the section of the bayou trail.All of the donations raised will go to the non-profit Houston Parks Board, which is responsible for maintaining the hike-and-bike trail, the adjacent greenspace, and installing and maintaining the bench. The final design of the trail, landscaping, benches, and the schedule for installation are still under development by the Houston Parks Board, but we are thinking the new bench will be placed either within the new section of trail or adjacent to Glenbrook Park. The exact location and style will be based on the final trail design. A tentative schedule for installation provided the Houston Parks Board is summer 2020.
The donations required for a backless wood bench is $5,000. Our goal is to raise $2,500 of that here on GoFundMe. As the Houston Parks Boards provides a more definitive design and schedule, we will update everyone. We also plan to host a small picnic once the bench is installed to celebrate Gilbert’s life.
Any amount is welcome and this page is available for anyone who wishes to contribute. Please share with anyone you think would be interested. Feel free to email me at [email redacted] if you have questions.
Organizer
Roy Morlan
Organizer
Denver, CO