Nelda Garcia de la Torre

Nelda Faye Van Hook Garcia de la Torre, 92, of Birmingham, passed away on Sunday, March 26th, 2023. She was a member of North Shelby Baptist Church and loved her church family. She was born in El Dorado, Arkansas to Herman and Selma Van Hook. She was a graduate of the University of Alabama with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology. She first taught at Philadelphia Baptist Kindergarten, then served as a director at Pilgrim Congregational Day School and Church of the Ascension. She also sat as the President of the Birmingham Kindergarten Association. She continued to work in the education sector and after transitioning into Real Estate she received her Real Estate Broker's License in 1978. While a Realtor at her husband's brokerage (Tower Realty), she served as the Birmingham Chapter Women's Council President. She then served as the President of the Alabama Business Women's Association. She was named "Woman of the Year" in 1985 by the ABWA. Along with these roles she also became a Notary, was a member of the Pointe Society and Continental Club and taught Sunday School at Philadelphia Baptist Church. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, and adored by everyone who knew her. Harry lovingly referred to her as "Duchess" and her license plate read such until she stopped driving.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Harry Keatley Garcia de la Torre. She is survived by her son, Keat de la Torre (Carolyn); daughter, Lori Norton (Bill); grandchildren, Trace de la Torre (Amy), Carrie Taylor (Daniel), Ivey Lake (Coby), Katie Kammer (Ryan), and Mark Norton; great grandchildren, Hollis Lake, Ford de la Torre, Banks Lake, Caleb Taylor, Sutton de la Torre, Wesley Kammer, Marian Taylor, and Victoria Kammer; niece, Lillie Holland and nephew, Fred Martinez and cousins Butch and Keith Taylor and their sister, Nena . Funeral services will be on Monday, April 3rd, 2023 at 11am. The family will receive friends from 10-11am at the funeral home. The family would like to express a sincere thank you to the caregivers at Plantation Manor and Southeast Hospice.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to North Shelby Baptist, 4100 Belcher Drive, Birmingham, AL, 35242.

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