Rebecca Ruth (Easley) Garriga

Rebecca Ruth “Easley” Garriga was born June 27, 1966 at Park Place Hospital in Port Arthur Texas to Kathryn Cecile “Simmons” Easley & Jimmy Horace Easley, both of Port Arthur, Texas.

From the moment of birth Rebecca was very special, you see Rebecca was born 5 minutes before her identical twin sister Regina “Easley” Rhodes!  The dynamics of twins is something that has boggled the mind for generations and these twins were no exception.  They sounded alike, they of course looked exactly alike, they oftentimes would be found dressed exactly alike sometimes on purpose and sometimes just by chance.  Most of all, they both loved their friends and family fiercely.

Rebecca lived most of her life in Port Arthur never living more than a half mile away from her mom and dad’s house with the exception of her married years and attended schools there graduating from Thomas Jefferson High in 1984.  You probably couldn’t find a member of that graduating class that didn’t know those Easley twins and you for sure couldn’t find anybody that would say anything that wasn’t good.  Rebecca lived her whole life with the love of God in her heart and she was a devout believer in her savior, having been raised in the Trinity Baptist Church also in Port Arthur.

After high school Rebecca worked for many years at local Eckerd Drug stores and went on to complete her studies in nursing graduating from Lamar State College-Orange with her Vocational Nursing Degree and then began a 24 year career with UTMB-Galveston as an LVN at the Gist, Leblanc and Stiles Correctional Facilities which she retired from in October 2021.

Rebecca was married for 14 years to Kevin Wayne Garriga of Porter, Texas and they made their home in Bridge City.  The best memory of their marriage is their adoption of siblings Shae and DJ whom they loved unconditionally.

Rebecca and her twin Regina loved growing up in Port Arthur and the neighborhood they grew up in and even today you can find people for blocks in every direction who know and love this amazing family.  The girls often patrolled the neighborhoods with their dad where they all ended up on the C-COPR neighborhood watch program helping to watch out for their friends and neighbors.  Their dad Jimmy was a 34 year Electrical/Instrument Engineer at the Texaco refinery where he retired from then joined the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and retired a second time.  The girls mom, Kathryn, was a stay at home mom for some time then worked a few jobs at the church and schools before going on to complete her studies in nursing retiring as House Supervisor at Medical Center of Southeast Texas and previously working for years at the old Park Place Hospital.  You see now how serving and helping others runs deep in the Easley family.

The Easley twins were exceptional women, they loved makeup and big hair, they rode scooters, and even rebuilt and painted cars they would buy and share.  These girls loved life, loved the outdoors, loved the Lord and most of all they loved their family.  You would often find them at many a southern gospel concert, where they met their dear friends The Chandlers later in life who have graciously agreed to perform at Rebecca’s Celebration of Life service.  The Chandlers fondly refer to the girls as “stalkers” because they have been known to travel as far as Tennessee and Mississippi and numerous other areas to visit, help set up equipment and fill their hearts with Godly music at their services.

Pastimes and hobbies that Rebecca enjoyed were spending time with her two children and her two grandchildren who called her Mimi and loving and playing with her many Boston Terriers Buddy, Buster, Gizzie, Beau and Cutter.  Rebecca also loved collecting all things Snoopy and Peanuts related just like her sister Regina amassing quite a collection over the years and listening to southern gospel music and maybe a little bit of Wynonna thrown in for good measure.

Rebecca was called home to Heaven on December 18, 2021 following a 9 month brave and courageous fight against cancer.  She endured repeated and numerous chemotherapy and radiation treatments during her fight because she wanted to live and love as long as she could and her twin Regina was by her side all the way these last 9 months especially, taking her to treatments, doctors visits and staying by her side around the clock when she was in the hospital.  COVID kept Regina from being by her side for the cancer surgery but she stayed at a hotel blocks from the hospital anxiously waiting and she spent many hours camped in the parking garages at MD Anderson during many of Rebecca’s treatments as well. Rebecca was most recently at Harbor Hospice Inpatient facility in Beaumont and she was surrounded by a crowd of family and friends who loved her as she passed peacefully to the arms of our Lord. Heaven became an even better place at 5:59 PM, December 18, 2021.

Rebecca was preceded in death by her parents Kathyrn Cecile Simmons Easley and Jimmy Horace Easley, grandparents Lester and Mary Simmons, Edith and Casey Beard, Josephine and Horace Easley and her infant brother James.  Rebecca is survived by her sister Regina Easley Rhodes and husband Michael of Lumberton, Texas, brother Richard Easley and wife Debra of Beaumont, Texas, daughter Shae Nicole Garriga Godeaux and husband Eric of Beaumont, Texas and Darrin James (DJ) Garriga of Spring, Texas as well as her two grandchildren Daniel and Zane Godeaux of Beaumont, Texas.  Nieces and nephews whom Rebecca also dearly loved are Ryan Rhodes of Lumberton, Texas, Angel Zapata and Kari Robbins both of Beaumont, Texas and Aaron Easley of Nederland, Texas, along with great nieces and nephews David Lee, Finley Zapata, Addilyn, Maverick, Remington and Kimber Robbins, and Everly Easley.

A cremation was performed by Lumberton Family Funeral Home and a glorious Celebration of Life is tentatively scheduled for 10 AM on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at Life Church, 4600 Jimmy Johnson Boulevard, Port Arthur Texas also under direction of Lumberton Family Funeral Home with The Chandlers set to lift their voices in love and remembrance.  The family asks that in lieu of flowers that you make a love offering to The Chandlers at the celebration of life service or directly to their ministry using these methods: Paypal: Paypal.me/thechandlerswnl Venmo: @TheChandlersMusic and Cashapp: $TheChandlersMusic to help further their spread of the gospel. Most of all just please come be with us as we celebrate our love and relive memories of our sweet Rebecca.

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