Deanna Lynn Garcia
September 13, 1968 -- January 13, 2001

Odie's Famous Moments from the Marylanders

How did she get there?

In the early 90's, Odie was in the Navy stationed at Patuxent Naval Air Station as a Corpsman.  She lived in Point Lookout with Lisa Clemmey and became the mother of Snoop the beagle. 

In September 1993, she went to a party after working as a dishwasher at Spinnaker's Restaurant.  She did not want go empty handed so she brought a gallon jug of Gallo red wine with a twist top to share at the party.  That evening, she met Chris and so her life began across the Patuxent River in Lusby. 

She met alot of people whose lives she touched and influenced along the way.  The following are some of ways that we remember her.

What did we call her?

Deanna Lynn Garcia was known as not only Odie, but Bloatie, Odiemeister, the Mexican, Otis, Party Girl, Odiferous, Odieitis and Odelia.

What was her daily routine?

She woke up early, made coffee and went to work.  At times, we were not sure which job she was doing because there was a list of them.  To name some of them:

•  Traveling nurse for an insurance company

•  Cook at Guido's Restaurant and the Main Street Grill

• Dishwasher at  the Dry Dock Restaurant

•  On-call receptionist at O'Brien Realty

•  Professional weed wacker at Mark and Judy's Lawn Care Company

• Banquet server for Bowen's Inn

• Shampoo girl at Tracie's Salon

• Customer representative at Leggett's

• Her most important job was as a Nurse at Calvert Internal Medicine Group--she was "Queen of the stick" with her shot-administering skills, and the patients always asked for her.

She was a very hard worker and a dedicated worker...never above those jobs that were the least desired, but an integral part of a successful team.

Now, she 'aspired' very regularly to accomplish the following:

• Lucy and Odie's Catering Service

• Coffee/Donut shop owner

• Big Burrito carry-out, open from Midnight to 5:00 in the morning-burritos only.  Odie was sick of eating at Mexican restaurants in Maryland where they thought  refried beans were pork n beans!

• Medical supply ordering company

• Hot dog cart serving the after-hour Tiki Bar crowd

She always said that she was "going to make a mint".

In her spare time, Odie was a very active girl.  Some of her activities included:

• Crabbing with chicken necks and fishing with worms on the bay (she dug her own worms to save a buck)

• Running with the dogs on the beaches-Snoop and Willow

• Hot tub activities w/ invited and uninvited guests

• Playing card and board games, according to her rules

• Volleyball at the Szynborski's

• Jetskiing on the Patuxent River and Chesapeake Bay

• Dressing up for Halloween--her Spice Girl costume was just one of the favorites

• Winning a 70's dance contest at 5th grade St. Leonard Elementary School

• Throwing an annual May Party at the house

She had a very extraordinary diet and exercise regime to stay healthy. For example,

• High fiber to make her regular

• Vegetarian with soy milk

• Exercise tapes:  8-minute abs, Buns of Steel, The Firm...always with ankleweights

• Gym membership for a year, and that lasted about one month

• Rollerblading

• Biking to the Tiki Bar with Kathy O.

She always convinced others to join her in the activities.

Her social life included:

• Being the center of attention and creating smiles no matter how tense the situation

• Enjoying her time with kids, in preparation for one day have one of her own

• Aspiring to be the very best Godmother to Shonna Duncan

• Hosting house guests and spending the next morning catching up over a fabulous breakfast

• Regular visitor of the Tiki bar--on one occasion seen wearing a kilt with no undergarments

• Meeting strangers and immediately adopting them as her lost long friends

• Swimming in a thong even though she had a pimple on her butt

Deanna was very spiritual and she toured many religous houses of worship, including African Methodist and a Penecostal Fellowship called 'Rock Church', where Odie and Lucy were concerned about the Reverend's songs on the guitar and speaking in tongues! She always maintained a  belief in God, and strived to be a person with strong beliefs and values.

Odie also was a home owner, enjoyed fine arts including art history, operas and music, from the Beastie Boys to Enya to Pavarotti.  She loved road trips, and did travel to London, England.

We also remember Odie for her:

• Scratch and sniff moments

• Her unique dress style

• Her everpresent smile and energetic aura

• She touched all of our hearts in good times and in bad.  She helped keep Mark on his medicine routine, in preparation for the bone marrow transplant which saved his life. 

The following quote we thought was appropriate to what Odie would want us all to relect on and it is about relationships:

First of all, the relationship itself must be important to us.  Our love for our children, spouses, friends, for example, must be deeply meaningful.

Second, we must always put into a relationship as much as we get out of it.  Unless this is true, our relationship will dissolve, fall into clay in our hands.

 Our relationships protect us from isolation.  They bring us experience and love and joy.  They are worth our attention because we are the ones who receive all the benefits. 

Oddly enough, when at first thinking about eulogizing Odie, one joke came to mind.  This was the one joke that she told over and over again...always soliciting laughter:

There were these 2 Chinese guys walking in an alley one night and they came upon a Mexican , and the Chinese guys said "Ha, we know Karate".  And the Mexican says "Ha,-I know Judo", Ju don't know if I got a knife and Ju don't know if I got a gun".

To end, a quote by Rita Mae Brown sums it all, "I finally figured out that the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it"....and that she did.

Fly to the sun, Deanna.  We will think of you with experience and with love and with joy.

We all love you and will miss you greatly.  Peace.

Love,

Christine