Homero & Gloria Garcia

Our union mournfully announces the passing of long-time union members Homero and Gloria Garcia, who were among the victims of the nightclub tragedy in the Dominican Republic on April 7, 2025.

Homero and Gloria both worked at the New York Hilton, where the couple were known not only for their work ethic, but for the deep love and joy they shared with each other and everyone around them. “Homero called Gloria ‘mi chica’, and she called him ‘mi moré’,” remembered Rafael Coss, their coworker and close friend. “They were simply meant for each other.”

Homero and Gloria were adventurous. They loved traveling, going to happy hours, playing bingo, biking, and cheering on Homero’s nephew at college basketball games. They were karaoke regulars, known for dancing romantic salsa and singing their hearts out.

The couple was also deeply committed to their community. Homero was a proud member of the New York State Dominican Officers Fraternal Order of Police and a volunteer with Worldwide Academy Firefighter Inc., a nonprofit supporting Latin America. Together, they were part of Los Haineros Dorados, a tight-knit group of seniors from their hometown of Haina, San Cristóbal, with whom they danced their final merengue at the Rubby Pérez concert on the night they passed.

Friends, family, and coworkers continue to mourn their sudden loss. Gloria’s nephew, Harlet, who served as the ring bearer at their wedding, remembers them as the heart of the family, always bringing loved ones together. A steward at the Hilton, a photo of Gloria still hangs in the kitchen where she worked. Coworkers at the Hilton had been preparing a birthday celebration for Gloria before the tragedy struck, and union members have been wearing tribute t-shirts as a way to remember them.

Gloria and Homero are survived by siblings and several nieces and nephews, who they treated like their own children. “Your kids are my kids,” they used to say. “There’s a video of Homero saying, ‘Even death will never do us apart,’” said Gloria’s nephew. “They died together, just as they lived – inseparable.”