Juliana G. LeTourneau

June 19, 2024. Our sweet wife, mother, sister, auntie and friend Juliana Garcia LeTourneau was on a mission trip to Zambia and after enjoying a day at Victoria Falls in Livingstone, the mission team had an encounter with a small herd of elephants, which resulted in Julie’s death. 

Julie was born exactly 64 years earlier on June 19, 1960 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to Richard and Margaret Garcia. As a young girl, she enjoyed playing outdoors with her siblings and at the local community center with her many neighbors and friends. She excelled at softball and volleyball and played for several fast-pitch softball teams in her early twenties. Julie graduated from Valley High School, earned an associate’s degree from TVI and eventually went on to earn a bachelors degree in MIS from the College of Santa Fe. She worked for Sandia National Laboratories as an office administrative assistant and eventually took a position in HR as a hiring assistant while maintaining the company’s resume tracking system. Julie competed for Sandia in the Corporate Cup, a track and field competition with other local corporations. It was through running track that Julie met her husband to be, Steve LeTourneau, and the two have been married for nearly 36 years. They enjoyed many outdoor activities together including camping, skiing, softball, and soccer. 

After working at the labs for seventeen years, Julie decided to leave for a role that she felt was her calling, to be a stay-at-home Mom. She poured her life into raising two amazing children, Stephany (25) and Daniel (23). She taught them the importance of a good education, how to be respectful of others, and how to enjoy life. Julie was very active in their school activities, often driving them all over the city, and she was their biggest (and loudest) fan for all of their team sports. 

Julie enjoyed music and dancing at gatherings such as weddings and graduation parties. On Saturday mornings, she would always play the rancheras on KANW, which signaled that it was time to clean the house. She loved family gatherings with her sisters and brother, and her many nieces & nephews and she was always ready when an impromptu get-together would pop up.

Julie enjoyed traveling with her family, whether it was their annual trip to Michigan to visit Steve’s family on the 4th of July or taking a cruise to Alaska to hike the trails and get close to a glacier. While living in Denver in the late 90’s, early 00’s, one of Julie’s favorite activities was to take in a professional sports game, whether it was the Broncos, the Rockies, the Nuggets, or the Avalanche, she was always ready to go and cheer on the home team!

During their marriage, Julie supported her husband through college, graduate school, and then seminary. Over the past eight years, Julie helped her siblings care for their aging parents until their passing. She enjoyed sitting with her parents for hours, talking about the news, watching a game on TV, or playing a round of kibosh. She loved to share Scripture or a devotional with her parents and talk about Jesus. Julie loved the Lord. She was an active member of Center City Church in downtown Albuquerque since 2006 and enthusiastically participated in Bible Study Fellowship for the past 20 years. She loved the ladies in her bilingual Bible Study group, fellowship with her church family, and sharing the Good News of Jesus with others, which is what took her to Zambia. There, she taught the women in Zambia on Biblical Hospitality.

Julie’s passing is a deep loss for all of her family and friends and she will be missed dearly. Julie was preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Margaret (Candelaria) Garcia and her two brothers, Michael Garcia and Anthony Garcia. Julie is survived by her husband Stephen LeTourneau and their children Stephany & Daniel LeTourneau; her siblings Bernadette (Manuel) Hernandez, Francesca (Michael) Estrada, Elizabeth (Anthony) Baldonado, and Vincent (Irma) Garcia; nieces and nephews Angelica (Jack) Tornakian, Anakristina & Ariana Hernandez, Ron (AO) Estrada, Elena & Veronica Estrada, Michaela (Phillip) McDonald, Jayden, Mariah, & Josiah McDonald, Anthony (Kristen) Baldonado Jr., Jeremiah, Jacob, & Noah Baldonado, Mario (Shannon) Baldonado, Gabrielle & Mario Jr. Baldonado, Petty Officer Second Class Vincent Garcia Jr., Ricardo, Jaime, & Elias Garcia; sister-in-law Jane (Abeyta) Garcia; and many cousins and relatives from both the Garcia and Candelaria sides of the family.

There will be a viewing at Strong-Thorne Funeral Home (1100 Coal Ave. SE, 87106) on Wednesday, July 10th from 4:00-7:00 PM for family, and on Thursday, July 11th from 2:00-7:00 PM for friends. A Christian funeral service will be held at Calvary Westside Church (6051 Winter Haven Rd. NW, 87120) on Friday, July 12th at 11:00 AM (with a 10:00 AM viewing). A graveside burial service will follow at Sunset Memorial Cemetery and a reception will immediately follow at Calvary Westside.

In lieu of sending flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to help with the expenses incurred to repatriate Julie from Africa and to continue the Gospel work in Zambia that was so dear to her heart. Donations can be made at:

https://secure.qgiv.com/for/ccefc (Select “Zambia 2024” in the dropdown menu).