of Bryant, AR

October 13, 1956 - June 1, 2025

Connie Garcia Rayburn returned back to God on Sunday, June 1, 2025. She was born on October 13, 1956 in the south Texas border town of Brownsville. She spent her childhood days with her parents, two brothers, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandmother. In her teens, the family relocated to the town of Evlyn, Louisiana and another brother and sister were born. She was a great big sister, dutifully helping out any way she could. Throughout her high school years at Coushatta High, she enjoyed many activities and developed friendships that lasted all her life. After school, she moved back to Brownsville. During a trip back home for the holidays in 1978, at the bus depot in Shreveport, Louisiana, a chance passing brought a tall, red-haired stranger into her life. On a whim, they exchanged addresses. On May 18, 1979, John and Connie Rayburn were married in Genoa, Arkansas. Their first daughter was born in August the next year. Another daughter would follow in 1983 and two sons in 1987 and 1988. Her highest aspirations were to be a wife and mother. She faithfully raised her children in the Christian faith. After the family moved to Magnolia, Arkansas in 1991, she speedily looked for a church home and found one at Immanuel Baptist Church. The next decade and a half were spent raising her children, volunteering and making a home. People were her passion. After becoming an empty nester, she returned to work full time and school. She became a CNA and worked at assisted and nursing care facilities. Her superiors and coworkers will tell you she was one of the hardest workers they had ever seen. Driven by her love for seniors, she was punctual, thorough and kind to her residents. She would often share stories when she got home from work about the residents and the joy she found in serving them. In 2001, she became a grandmother and took more pictures of her grandchildren than a National Geographic photographer. In 2010, she and her husband moved to Bauxite, Arkansas to be closer to children and grandchildren. 6 additional grandchildren followed the first and the rest of her years were spent working, being with her family and spending time with friends. She was an ardent reader and journaled daily. She had a great sense of humor. She joined West Missionary Baptist Church in 2022. Connie knew Jesus Christ was her Lord and Savior and that He is the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25). Her hope was not in this life only. On the day she died, her daughters found on her bed the latest book she was reading, laying facedown on the current page. They did not close the book, just merely turned to the next chapter.

Connie was preceded in death by her husband, Johnny; her parents, Gerardo and Alvara Garcia; her sister, Lisa Montgomery and her husband, Joel; her brother, Pete Garcia; her brother, Joe and his wife, Ruth and her brother, Gerardo Jr. She is survived by her sons, John and Carl (Marzeah)Rayburn; daughters, Stacy Rayburn (James), Amanda DeFee (Dewayne); grandchildren, David and John Daniel DeFee, Brittni and Thomas Shocklee, Haven Rayburn, Lyla and Walker Rayburn as well as numerous other family members and friends.

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