Catherine Eagle Garzia

Catherine Mary Eagle Garzia, 99, died peacefully April 1, 2024, in Roanoke, Virginia.

She was born December 9,1924 to Charles Eagle and Amy Leybourne Eagle in Detroit,

Michigan. She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years, John Baptist Garzia,

her parents and her 3 siblings, Helen Beatrice Eagle Laverdiere, Margaret Eagle and

Kenneth Eagle.

She is survived by her four children, John (Janet) Garzia, Jr. of Hendersonville, NC,

Janet Garzia of Midlothian, VA, Jeanne (Ben) Ramsey of Wirtz, VA and Jackie (Jeff)

Kinker of Mooresville, NC. She is also survived by her brother Charles (Donna) Eagle,

Jr. of Winchester, VA.

She adored her 7 grandchildren and loved babysitting them when they were little. She

taught them to bake and play cards and served them food at Pizza Boy. Even as adults,

she always loved receiving calls from them to hear what they were up to. Todd (Bonnie)

Ramsey, Jeremy (Sara) Kinker, Mark (Lourdes) Garzia, Mary Kate (Chris) Glime, Jillian

(Cody) Campbell, Alex (Alyssa) Garzia and Jenna Kinker will miss her dearly. She was.

fortunate to have 10 great-grandchildren. Adain Garzia, Harker Ramsey, Natalie Glime,

Gracie Ramsey, CJ Campbell, Chip Ramsey, Paisley Campbell, Landon Kinker, Easton

Kinker and Avery Garzia gave her great joy. And an 11th blessed baby (a Campbell) is

due any day.

Mom was a lover of music and sang with the Detroit Anchorettes during WWII for

servicemen throughout Michigan. She and her father-in-law also sang together at

parties. She was offered a singing career on the road but once she met Dad at a dance

in 1946, all bets were off, and she didn’t look back.

She made a home for our family as we moved from Detroit to New Orleans to Orlando.

She taught her children the value of hard work while helping my dad run family

businesses at the Sands Motel and the Pizza Boy restaurant in Orlando. In between her

shifts at Pizza Boy, she even painted the exterior of their house.

Mom loved to cook, and we remember fondly all our family gatherings revolving around

food. She adapted her cooking to her environment. Coming from a Canadian/English

family into my dad’s boisterous Italian family, she learned to cook Italian dishes with the

help of her mother-in-law and we think she made the best meatballs, cannoli and

biancomangiare in the land. In New Orleans, she learned to make excellent red beans

and rice.

She lived her life for her family but always taught us to be independent and to work

hard. She became Dad’s caregiver until his death and in her later years, she moved to

Virginia to be closer to her children. If you wanted to make her happy, bring her a good

BLT sandwich or a Boston Cream donut and let her watch HGTV, games shows and In

the Heat of the Night.

She had a plaque in her home which was some version of a quote by Mother Teresa: “If

you want to change the world, go home and love your family” That is her legacy.

Mom will be cremated and buried with our father in Winter Garden, Florida later in the

spring or summer. Information about that celebration will be announced later.

No flowers or donations, please, just “go home and love your family”

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 am on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at Resurrection Catholic Church. 15353 Moneta Road, Moneta, VA 24121. There will also be a burial service at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at Winter Garden Cemetery, 13636 Lake Butler Blvd., Winter Garden, FL 34787. All friends and family are invited to attend.