Maria del Carmen Garcia Preciado, a well-known figure in the Lakeside community, passed away on Sunday, March 4 at the age of 70.
Born January 2, 1942 in Guadalajara, Garcia started working at 16 years old when she became the personal secretary of Allen W. Lloyd, founder of Lloyd’s Sucesores. She dedicated her professional life to Lloyd, and from 1981 to 1991 managed the insurance program out of their flagship office on Avenida Mariano Otero in Guadalajara. Lloyd’s insurance business developed and grew under her tenure and she traveled extensively in that role, opening offices in Switzerland and in Mexican cities such as San Miguel de Allende, Tijuana and Puerto Vallarta.
Garcia left her career in 1991 to care for her aging parents who resided in Chapala. She and her husband, Rogelio Michel, moved permanently to El Chante in 1994. Garcia immediately established an insurance office in downtown Ajijic. She joined TioCorp Insurance Services in 2007. She continued to serve her many loyal friends and clients from that office.
Garcia underwent two major orthopedic surgeries on her back and hip in 2011. She was recovering and had returned to her office when she became unexpectedly ill with severe pneumonia at Christmas time.
Garcia will be greatly missed by her husband, her sister, Maria Luisa Garcia Preciado of Guadalajara, her faithful clients and her many, many friends.