Raymondville’s Eleazar “Yogi” Garcia Jr. dies at 64, leaving a legacy of teaching, mentoring

Eleazar “Yogi” Garcia is seen in this undated photo. He died on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. (Allen Essex | Raymondville Chronicle)

In his youth, Eleazar “Yogi” Garcia was a standout on the football field, basketball court and baseball diamond.

Born on his father’s Santa Monica Ranch, he later learned about bookkeeping at his father’s grocery store in Raymondville.

His father was a long-time Willacy County Democratic Party chairman and a pillar of the community. Garcia died on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Eleazar Garcia Jr. had been given the nickname “Yogi” by an older sister while still a baby.

When he retired as city manager of Raymondville in 2022, he proudly showed a reporter an old film clip on his office computer. The 6-feet, 5-inch standout was defensive end on the Raymondville Bearkats football team, an imposing figure as he dashed across the field. The Bearkats won district championships in 1977 and 1978.

He went on to graduate from Raymondville High School, then earned an accounting degree from the University of Texas in 1982.

In adulthood, he spent 14 years as Willacy County auditor, then 26 years as Raymondville city manager.

Today’s city and county officials stand on solid ground, financially and have inherited smooth-running operations.

But, to those who worked closely with him, Mr. Garcia was much more.

Although he didn’t brag, he often mentioned his wife, Nida and their children, all successful in their chosen fields, Raymondville Mayor Gilbert Gonzales said.

He often depended on Yogi Garcia to guide him in making decisions about how to use the city’s limited resources, the mayor said.

“I’ve known Yogi for many years,” Gonzales said. “When I was working, he was my hero and friend.”

Yogi learned bookkeeping and how to operate a business at his dad’s market. At that time, Gonzales was a salesman for a beer distributorship and the Garcias were his customers, he said.

“I would service their store. When I became mayor in 2015, I got to know him better.”

Yogi Garcia inherited a mess when he took over as Willacy County auditor, but also when he became Raymondville city manager, he said during an interview upon his 2022 retirement. After converting the county and city to modern accounting practices, “we left a clean audit” he said.

But Mayor Gonzales said Garcia did much more than just clean up the books. Raymondville has long been plagued with flooding, since Willacy County is surrounded by a low-lying coastal country that has suffered through many a heavy rainstorm or hurricane.

Garcia took advantage of grant and loan programs to make drainage and street improvements, the mayor said.

“Flood water in the streets was coming up over the hood of Yogi’s Jeep,” Gonzales said. Drainage work that Garcia said needs to still be done is taking place now as he and city commissioners continue pushing to find funding and programs Garcia recommended.

Garcia also upgraded the city’s drinking water supply by adding or refurbishing wells to reduce the need to pay for “push water” from Delta Lake Irrigation District and put the city on the path to blending fresh ground water with canal water from the Rio Grande, the mayor said.

Garcia’s programs and plans worked and they were for important priorities that Raymondville residents need, the mayor said.

“Whatever (projects) he did, worked,” the mayor said.

Eleazar “Yogi” Garcia is pictured Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, at Raymondville City Hall. (Denise Cathey/The Brownsville Herald)

Garcia was not only a mentor, a teacher, a bookkeeping instructor, he was also a close personal friend, Gonzales said, taking a moment to wipe his eyes with his handkerchief.

Garcia would take the time to tutor everyone on the staff.

“What Yogi leaves behind is a piece of him in everybody he worked with,” the mayor said. “He was a big man with a big heart. He was a teacher, you needed to listen to him because he could teach you.”

One city employee he mentored was Delma Garcia, who is now city secretary. For years, both the position of city manager and city secretary were held by Garcia. But he recommended that Delma be promoted to city secretary, the mayor said. At the time, he told the City Commission, “She’s already doing it.”

When Yogi returned recently to fill a vacancy and get the budget, tax rate and other documents ready for the new fiscal year, “He was his old self. Mr. Garcia knew a lot of people. … His loss is devastating. I enjoyed working with him,” she said.

Mayor Gonzales said Garcia was never far from his love of sports at all levels.

“He was a big Bearkats fan, a huge Dallas Cowboys fan. … He did not like the Lyford Bulldogs (who defeated his Bearkats the past three years in the Cotton Bowl game).”

Garcia was proud of his accounting skills and proud of the city of Raymondville, the mayor said.

“He had nothing to hide,” Gonzales said. He could answer any question about city finances, the budget, taxes, revenues by clicking a few keys on his desktop computer, the mayor,” said.

Despite long-running health problems, Garcia continued working as a consultant and assisted the cities of Raymondville and Lyford in recent weeks as they struggled to finalize their budgets, tax rates and other financial matters.

He also took an active interest in politics and would join people campaigning for candidates before elections.

During a recent Willacy County Commissioners Court meeting, County Judge Aurelio “Keter” Guerra spoke highly of Garcia and his contributions to the Willacy County community.

Raymondville school board President John Solis said: “Having known Yogi for 50 years, I can say his dedication to this city ran deep and was evident in everything he did. He led with strength and compassion, earning the respect of everyone around him, he will be greatly missed but never forgotten. He was more than a friend, he was my brother.”

Superintendent of Schools Stetson Roane said: “Yogi was a good friend and a great man, truly exceptional in every way. His unwavering support for Raymondville reflected his deep love for this community. He was respected and admired by all who knew him and we will miss him tremendously.”

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