Jody Ingram Garza

Jody Ann Garza, 56. Born in Evansville, Indiana, and preceded in death by her husband, Richard Garza, and brother, Russ Ingram. She is survived by her parents, John and Linda Ingram of Mission, Texas, her two sons, John Greer and Burke Garza, as well as her brother and his wife, John and Lorie Ingram of Shawnee, Kansas, with their two children Kyle and Morgan Ingram.

Born in 1966 to John and Linda Ingram in Evansville, IN, Jody grew up in Lawrenceville, IL, alongside her brother John and her cousins Anita Anderson, Lynn Ganter, Dana Worland, Amy Davis, Doug Brown. Bill, Mark,and CJ David, Robert and Steve Ingram, and Tyler and Sam Fitch.

In high school she was a member of the winning women’s swim team at nationals in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She also traveled to London with the team as part of an exchange program. After graduating from Lawrenceville High School in 1984, she attended Vincennes University to obtain an Associate’s Degree in Nursing in 1986. She would always remember the lifelong friends and the happy times they shared as a member of the Chi Omega Sorority.

In between travels to Texas and Tennessee from 1988 and 1991, she attended the University of Texas at Arlington and Belmont College in Nashville. While completing her nursing coursework, she met her husband, Richard Garza, in 1989. He quickly proposed to her along the Galveston seawall, marrying her the following year. The newlyweds returned to Nashville, TN, where Jody completed her bridge program with Vanderbilt University, specializing in neurosurgery, while obtaining both her Bachelor of Science and Master in Nursing from 1993 to 1995. After graduation, Richard and Jody returned to Plano, TX, settling into their new home on Wales Drive.

In 1996, while working as a clinical nurse liaison in Dallas, her first child, Burke, was born. Three years later, in 1999, she would deliver her second son, John Greer, into the world. Her role then changed from that of a pharmaceutical sales representative with Johnson & Johnson to that of a stay-at-home mother. She dedicated her life to raising her two boys into capable young men. She also strongly supported her husband as he began his own construction management company in 2004, Garza Program Management. As the Vice President and Co-Owner of the firm, Jody enabled Richard’s career and made critical decisions in the growth of the business. The two were involved in several important projects throughout North Texas, including the Winspear Opera House and Wyly Theater in Downtown Dallas’ Arts District, as well as renovations to all five terminals of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Additionally, Jody was a member of the Boys and Girls Club of Dallas, consistently giving back to local schools and club centers, speaking with Hispanic youth and spearheading the effort to renovate the club facilities.

Throughout her life, Jody was an avid designer with an innate fashion sense for both furniture and clothing. She also enjoyed riding three separate horses - Gorm, George and Ross - who loved her just as much as she did them. After the death of her husband, Richard, in 2018, she quickly began a home staging and interior design business, DHomeStaging, with projects spanning the entire Dallas Metroplex. Her passion for life, art and all things beautiful extended not just to her work, but also to her children, friends and family, as well as her many treasured dogs, including Julian, Joy, Mallory, Elizabeth and Edmund.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the Garza family.