Dr. Juan Antonio Torres-Garza

Juan Torres-Garza was a compassionate and attentive primary care doctor caring for the Chicago, IL community. Dr. Torres-Garza earned his medical degree from the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México Facultad de Medicina in Mexico. He moved to the United States and completed his residency in internal medicine from Northwest Hospital. Dr. Torres-Garza would go on to become the primary care doctor of Clinica Quadalupe in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. His upbringing made him accessible to patients in a primarily Hispanic/Latin American community. Dr. Torres-Garza was devoted to ensuring the longevity of his patients' health and developing long-lasting relationships with them.

Family Life

Although his patients may have referred to him as Dr. Torres-Garza, his family knew him as just Juan or "Pa". He was extremely devoted to his family, working hard in his studies and career to provide for them. He instilled the values of hard work, pursuing a higher education, to strive for knowledge, and empathy. He loved having family dinners, going out on weekends, throwing big parties and family get togethers, and going on vacation. Many of his photos depict his adventures around the world, from exploring the Louvre in Paris, France, to fishing in Acapulco, Mexico; all alongside the company of family. He also had an active social life, sharing many experiences with friends.

Passions

Aside from his love of medicine and family, Juan had many creative interests and hobbies. Juan was someone who had to know a bit about everything! He was incredibly intellectual not just in medical knowledge, but within the realms of science, history, geography, pop culture, & music. He loved traveling, especially in RV's and mobile homes. He loved camping, hiking, and nature overall. If there was a place he wanted to visit, he would often watch documentaries or read up on some facts about the area. He had a love for National Parks and transportation systems such as the Amtrak passenger trains. He would sadly pass before he was able to take his dream trips to Yellowstone National Park, and taking the Amtrak along the Pacific Coast Rail from California to Alaska.

Along with scenic trails, he loved any and all educational experiences, especially if he could take his family to learn along with him, or inspire them to choose an educational experience themselves. He visited many museums, archives, and collections. Living in Chicago, he had memberships to many of the renowned institutions in the city, such as the Science and Industry Museum and the Brookfield Zoo.

Juan was a collector himself. His passion for music and media accumulated in a vast collection of cassettes, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and most importantly, photographs and home videos. Juan had many sets of film cameras, digital cameras, video recorders, and smart phones. He knew the importance of capturing memories of his life in this way, and leaves behind a great story of happiness and fulfillment within the videos of his child's 1st birthday party, documenting his travels, or records of musicians that reminded him of his youth.

Lasting Impact

Juan passed away during the Covid-19 Pandemic after contracting the virus himself. He is one of the more than 7 million people whose life was cut short due to the disease; a medical personnel working on the frontlines of a global pandemic. As time passes and we as a global community begin to rebuild and heal, we also must never forget those we have lost; pillars and leaders of community; educators, healers, guardians; cherished fathers, mothers, grandparents, sons, daughters, and friends. Juan's family and friends were able to gather and hold a funeral service, where he was laid to rest in Acacia Park Cemetery in Norridge, IL.

This tribute serves as a reminder of the continued and constant presence Juan has in the lives of his family. They continue to commemorate his life through following his teachings and lessons, sharing stories and memories, getting together and creating new ones, and passing down his legacy to the new generation.

Thank you for everything Pa.