Susan Nona Garcia, nee Bertram, 70, passed away Nov. 11, 2009, in Redlands, Calif., surrounded by family. Born Oct. 14, 1939, in Memphis, Tenn., to Robert and Nona Bertram; the family then moved to Menasha, Wis. She graduated in 1957 from Menasha H.S. and from Grinnell College in 1961. Susan was a teacher in Spokane, Wash., where she met and married Robert Garcia, Jr., an Air Force pilot. While they were in the Air Force, they were stationed in Washington, Texas, Hawaii and Okinawa, and Susan enjoyed the opportunity to make friends around the world, to travel and to experience different cultures.

After she and Robert settled in Redlands, she enjoyed working with the young people at CSU-SB in the Athletic Dept. She volunteered for numerous organizations in the many places she lived, including the Red Cross, Family Services, Meals on Wheels, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and as a Eucharistic minister for Holy Name Catholic Church of Redlands. Susan greatly enjoyed travel, athletics, duplicate bridge, gardening and family gatherings. She exhibited great strength and courage while battling cancer.

Susan is survived by her husband, Bob Garcia; her daughters, Carolyn (Jim) Tuff, Highland; and Col. Marilyn (Col. Jim) Kott, Ramstein AFB, Germany; her son, Maj. John (Dyan) Garcia of Dyess AFB, Texas; eight grandchildren; her sister, Marilyn (Carl) Jersild, Neenah; and her brother, John (Mariann) Bertram, Madison, Wis.

Rosary will be Sunday, Nov. 15, at Cortner Chapel, Redlands, at 7:30 p.m. Mass will be Monday, Nov. 16, at 11 a.m. at Holy Name Catholic Church, 115 W. Olive Ave, Redlands. Burial will follow at Hillside Cemetery, Redlands.

Donations can be made in her memory to any of the organizations in which she served as a volunteer or to the Redlands Community Hospital Hospice.