On April 23, 2021, Gerald D. Garcia passed away after a full and active life at the age of 95. Gerald was born in Waterbury, Connecticut on May 13, 1925. He earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Hartford Seminary and over the years served in Congregational churches in New Hampshire, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
You may be scratching your head and wondering what this has to do with the files at the Rochester Historical Museum. I will say that while we have an extensive obituary file, this is one we missed, but it was found by Kristen Cardozo, head librarian at Plumb Library.
Mr. Garcia had a long resume of work both in and out of the church and he also served on the staff of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. During retirement he was active in various COAs, taking and teaching classes such as world history and opera. Living in assisted living accommodations in Marion and West Wareham, he continued to be active by playing nightly piano sessions and running classes.
However, the reason I am writing about Mr. Garcia is because he was also a talented artist working in pen and ink. You may have bought notecards (maybe on Cape Cod) adorned with his art. Gerald enjoyed driving around New England and finding small town buildings and scenes to paint. Often, he would meet and chat with friendly residents, but at other times he would draw a picture of a building or scene and then go quietly on his way.
Fortunately for us, one of those buildings was our own Joseph H. Plumb Library. Anyone who has a Plumb Library card can exchange it for the new 50th anniversary edition seen in the picture with this article. If you don’t currently have a card, this is a good time to get one. Then you can not only check out books, but also, carry a small piece of artwork in your pocket.
The Plumb Library is a wonderful supporter of the Rochester Historical Society, collaborating on programs, passing on messages and designating a section of the library to Rochester history. This year the Joseph H. Plumb Library building is celebrating its 50th anniversary and as an aside, it’s the 100th year that Rochester has had a library in the center of town.
By Connie Eshbach
