Hero teacher Irma Garcia’s husband died of a broken heart 2 days after Texas school shooting

Couple’s nephew tweeted that Joe Garcia had died of ‘grief’.

‘He died of a broken heart,’ the family said

Fourth grade teacher Irma Garcia dies of a heart attack two days after she was shot and killed by gunman while shielding kids from bullets

The pair were married for 24 years and had four children together

Irma and fellow teacher Eva Mireles, 44, died ‘with children in their arms’ 

The pair jumped in front of the kids to try to stop the gunman from murdering them 

The husband of one of the teachers murdered in Tuesday’s school shooting has died of a heart attack.
Joe Garcia is the long term spouse of Irma Garcia, 46, was one of two teachers slaughtered by 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos who shot up a class full of fourth graders on Tuesday, in Uvalde, Texas.
On Thursday, grief-stricken Joe died of a heart attack.
A GoFundMe page set up by the family says the widower died ‘of a broken heart’. 
‘I truly believe Joe died of a broken heart and losing the love of his life of more than 30 years was too much to bear,’ Irma’s cousin Debra Austin said. 
The couple’s nephew tweeted that he had died of ‘grief’.
‘Please pray for our family. God have mercy on us,’ he said. 
The pair were married for 24 years and had four children. It’s unclear how old the children are. 

Joe Garcia died on Thursday in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers, including his wife of 24 years, Irma Garcia, her nephew said on Twitter.
“EXTREMELY heartbreaking and come with deep sorrow to say that my Tia Irma’s husband Joe Garcia has passed away due to grief,” the nephew said.
“I truly am at a loss for words for how we are all feeling, PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY, God have mercy on us, this isn’t easy.”
“the pain doesn’t stop,” he added, minutes later.
The Garcias leave behind four children.

Family members confirmed  that the cause of death was a heart attack.
Irma Garcia, 46, taught alongside Eva Mireles, who was also gunned down by 18-year-old Salvador Ramos in the shooting in Uvalde, near the US border with Mexico.
The teachers reportedly died trying to protect the children from the shooter

Irma’s school profile she said she enjoyed barbecuing with her husband and listening to music.
Survivors from the shooting have told how Irma and fellow teacher Eva Mireles, 44, died shielding them from the gunman’s bullets. 
‘She passed away with children in her arms trying to protect them,’ Garcia’s nephew John Martinez wrote on Twitter.
‘Those weren’t just her students, they were her kids as well.’

Mireles’ daughter revealed how her mother ‘jumped in front of students’ in a heartbreaking tribute on Wednesday.
‘I don’t know how to do this life without you, but I will take care of dad. 
‘I will take care of our dogs and I will forever say your name so you are always remembered, Eva Mireles, 4th grade teacher at Robb Elementary who selflessly jumped in front of her students to save their lives,’ Adalynn Ruiz wrote on Facebook. 
Garcia, a married mother of four, had taught at Robb Elementary for 23 years and was previously named ‘teacher of the year’.

She was one of 19 San Antonio-area educators named as finalists for Trinity University’s prize for excellence in teaching in 2019.
Garcia at the time taught third grade, specializing in social studies and ELAR, or English Language Arts and Reading.
‘I am so excited to begin this new school year already!’ she wrote on the school district’s website before the start of the school year. 
Joe and Irma Garcia had four children and were married for 24 years. The crowd funding set up to help the family has raised $292,627 of $10,000 goal.