J. Peter Garcia , 74, passed away on Thursday, September 15, 2011. Visitation will be held in Paul Ippolito Summit Memorial, 7 Summit Ave., Summit, NJ on Tuesday, September 20, 2011 from 6 to 9 PM. The Funeral Mass will be offered on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 in St. Teresa of Avila Church at 10:45 AM. Interment will follow in Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, Union. For directions, visit www.ippolitofuneralhomes.com Born in Panama City, Panama, he arrived in the United States in 1954 and became a United States citizen in 1993. He was a former resident of South Plainfield before moving to Summit 30 years ago. Mr. Garcia was the owner and operator of J. Peter Garcia Construction for forty years, until retiring in 1999. Peter was a communicant of St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Summit and was a member of the choir. He had the extreme pleasure of meeting Pope John Paul II on a trip the choir took to Italy. Peter was very strong in his faith. He enjoyed singing and dancing, was a sports enthusiast who loved baseball, ice hockey, and shooting pool. Peter was an avid soccer fan, coached soccer for many years, and attended several World Cups. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jose Karamanites and Guadalupe Garcia. Surviving are his four loving sons, Peter of Arizona, Thomas of Riegelsville, Mark (Glin) of Neshanic Station, and Paul (Nicole) of Estero, FL; his two beloved daughters, Michelle (Chris) Cibelli of Sewell and Lisa Garcia of Phillipsburg; his former wife, Linda Garcia of Phillipsburg; his seventeen grandchildren, Stephen, Adam, Katie, Nikki, Melissa, Danny, Ashlee, Emily, Rachel, Alexis, Haley, Tyler, Kylee, Noah, Sophie, Emma and Lucie; his three great-grandchildren, Kahli, Olivia, and Gabriel; his brother, Jose (Carolee) of Hellertown, PA; his two sisters, June (Normand) Lefebvre of Green Brook and Juanita Garcia of Tucson, AZ; and several nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made in Peter's memory to St. Teresa of Avila Parish, 306 Morris Ave., Summit, NJ 07901 To send a lasting tribute or condolences to the Garcia family, please sign the online guestbook. Click "Sign Guestbook" below.