Diego Vincent㨠Garcia

Diego Vincentè Garcia, 39, of Lexington, Kentucky died on Tuesday, November 15, 2022 in an industrial accident while working.

Diego was born May 1, 1983 in Battle Creek, Michigan to Guadalupe and Lucy Jane (Burns) Garcia. He grew up in Battle Creek and was a 2001 graduate of Battle Creek Central High School. Diego also attended Western Michigan University. He was employed for 13 years at the Toyota Georgetown Assembly Plant in Georgetown, Kentucky, recently with several pilot programs in fabrication and quality control. In Battle Creek, he was previously employed for Battle Creek Tile, D.C. Elevator and doing landscaping.

Diego Vincente' Garcia was united in marriage to Kristen Marie Poe on May 10, 2018 in Harlinger, Texas. Surviving are his wife, Kristen; stepdaughter, Nativity Marie Poe; parents, Guadalupe and Lucy Garcia of Battle Creek; siblings, Joaquin (Sarah) Garcia of Royal Oak, MI, Elena (Benjamin) Garcia-Goodwin of Ferndale, MI, Lucia Garcia of Battle Creek; three nephews, Alexander Garcia, Jacob Garcia, Dominic Johnson; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and their families. He was preceded in death by infant twin sons, Ezra James and Silas Alan Garcia on September 10, 2018.

From a very early age, Diego loved the Detroit Lions, the University of Michigan, and soccer. Playing soccer against his older siblings, trying to guard a full-size goal, led him to develop the spectacular diving saves that he was known for. As he grew up, he danced in the Baile Folklorico Mexicano (a Mexican folkloric dance group in Battle Creek, MI), played football (with his dad as his coach), wrestled, and played drums for his school bands. Throughout, he continued to play soccer (often with his mom as his coach), and he loved talking about and teaching soccer to the kids in our extended family. Diego worked at laying tile in his late teens and early twenties and would volunteer his services to family and friends, and that is something we'll see every day, a physical reminder of his talent and generosity. As an adult, Diego played drums in Irish and Scottish marching bands in Kentucky: the General Michael Collins Memorial Pipes Band (2008-2010) and the William Sutherland Reid Pipes and Drums (2018-2022). He had been training to run races and had just recently accomplished a major goal of his to run a half marathon. He had started to become good at cooking traditional Mexican dishes and salsas, and he was becoming quite skilled at carpentry, building furniture and cabinetry.

As this long list of interests shows, Diego thrived on challenging himself to learn new things. He sought perfection in everything he did; he was always trying to be better. His passion and intensity, as well as his encouragement, pushed those around him to try to be better, too. Seeing his courage, intensity, and hard work would inspire us to be brave and work hard.

If you knew Diego for just 5 minutes, you just made a new friend. His smile and laugh were infectious. He had an incredible memory, which he would use when telling highly detailed and hilarious stories. Diego was a generous and loyal friend who was always willing to lend a hand, was always that person we could always count on when we needed help. He was the brightest shining light, and people were drawn to him; the world will be so much darker without him. We have all lost a great, great man.


Friends will be received 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 22, 2022 at Farley Estes Dowdle Funeral Cremation Preneed Care, where family and friends are invited to share personal stories and remembrances of Diego at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Fr. Jacob Thomas 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 23, 2022, at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, 61 North 23rd Street, Battle Creek, MI 49015. The Mass was recorded and may be viewed at https://vimeo.com/775068336/ebb1c419e3.

A committal service and interment will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Memorial contributions in memory of Diego may be made at: Diego Garcia - Fundraiser by Jordan Stanton - GoFundMe. Personal messages for the family may be placed in the Memory Book at www.farleyestesdowdle.com.