Dennis Garcia

Dennis Garcia, author of Marine, Public Servant, Kansan: The Life of Ernest Garcia, wrote this inspiring book after he retired from his 30-year career as an attorney and teacher. Like his cousin, Ernie Garcia, Dennis grew up in Garden City, a small town, in Southwest Kansas. His father, a Federal postal carrier, and his mother, a bilingual educator, both encouraged their ten children to obtain an education. Dennis became the first of his family to obtain a Bachelor’s degree when he graduated from the University of New Mexico. He went on to attend the University of Kansas, School of Law, and obtain his Juris Doctorate.

Dennis spent over 30 years as an attorney practicing in many areas of law including representing his community at Kansas Legal Services, prosecuting criminal cases in the City of Mesa, Arizona, representing the Pascua Yaqui Nation in Arizona as a tribal attorney, and sitting as a pro tem Judge in Sahuarita, Arizona.

Dennis also enjoyed a career as a high school teacher in Arizona, teaching law and government classes for over 12 years to students who were a constant source of inspiration.

In his retirement, Dennis continues to share and write the untold stories of Mexican Americans who live in the Midwest and are inspiring examples of the American Dream. In his free time, Dennis pursues his other passion: playing baseball.