Oscar Garcia Talleda
Son of Oscar Garcia Roman and Umberlina Garcia Talleda passed away on September 3, 2024.
Oscar was born on December 18, 1947 in Cienfuegos Cuba. He lived there until 1959 when he was sent to the USA to avoid being drafted into Castro’s communist militia at age 12. He spent three years in an orphanage and a foster home in Reno Nevada until his family was granted a visa to immigrate to the USA. He was reunited with his family in Miami, FL. The family subsequently moved to Hartford, CT.
Oscar attended Hartford High School, and later the University of Connecticut, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering.
Oscar is survived by his brother Michael Garcia Talleda and his sister-in-law Christine Smalley Garcia from Waynesboro Pennsylvania and his nephew Michael Adam Garcia from Chicago, IL.
Oscar loved chocolate and telling “Garcia” jokes. He will be missed.
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Oscar was a long-time strong buddhist practitioner and a devoted student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. He lived at Karme Choling for many years during the 1990s and was a staff member of the Practice and Education Department.
Then he was an integral member of the group that began the St. Johnsbury Shambhala Center and served for many years as the Practice Coordinator for the Center. He was always committed to organizing our annual practice schedule, such as for the new year Don Season practices & Vajrayogini feasts. Even as multiple sclerosis made mobility difficult, he did his best to attend as many Scorpion Seal Retreats as he could.
Oscar continued to practice as he was able from the Grafton County Nursing Home, including attending some practices online and emailing with many dharma friends. His connection to practice, the sangha, and the Shambhala/Sakyong lineage stayed very strong throughout his increasing disability. He is and will always be in our hearts as a good friend and beloved dharma brother.
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Oscar’s years at Karmê Chöling. First, he was a staff member in the Practice and Education Department for 8 years, from 1990 to 1998. During that time he supported community members and program participants alike in areas such as meditation instruction, trainings, classes, manuals, support materials, shrine rooms and other practice environments.
Secondly, during the time Oscar lived and worked at Karmê Chöling, there was a tradition of telling a joke or two during lunch announcements. Oscar trained himself to be quite the joketeller over the years, and throughout the entire process, he always brought many smiles.
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Laurie Fisher Huck
3 weeks ago
Oscar was a great supporter of practice at Karme Chöling. He ran the Vajrayogini supply closet like a guardian protector in a sacred world. When I was struggling with chöpon practice early on he told me to think of sadhana practice as an opera with magnificent settings and changes of scenery. So brilliant. Thank you, Oscar. Mil gracias amigo. ¡Hasta la proxima!
When I arrived at Karme-Choling in 1990 to inquire about coming on staff, the first thing I saw was Oscar Garcia sitting on a tractor giving the finger to his then boss. During the ensuing years I became very familiar with that side of Oscar. I also got to know his more indelible qualities of devotion to the dharma and the lineage, and his tremendous capacity for taking pains on their behalf.
Oscar was a sour as a pickle and as bright as the morning sun. Once during a discussion of how to handle another's personal aggression, Oscar said with tears in his eyes that when he experienced that he would simply reflect that some day this person would have to die.
Last summer while I was visiting Vermont Madge Rossinoff and Tom Bryer tipped me off as to Oscar's whereabouts. I went to see him at his nursing home. Oscar showed me where he took his wheelchair behind the building to face the wooded hillside and contemplate the sky. One of my fears for him was that he would be isolated in his old age, but he was very well known there, and friends like Madge and Tom stayed in touch. Best wishes, old friend.
