Felix Gaspar Rosa Jr.

In the late afternoon of Friday, February 14, Felix Rosa II reported for duty with his Heavenly Father at the age of 43 years young. His passing followed a lengthy and persistent battle with cancer. Felix was most recently a resident of St. Augustine, Florida. Born on June 18, 1976 in Queens, New York, he grew up alongside his sister under the loving care of their mother and fa-ther.

Felix married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Gaudy Mercado, on October 2, 1997 commencing an amazing and unparalleled adventure. The mutual affection and admiration they held for one another was captured in each loving gaze and the limitless laughs shared. Family is the epitome of love, and their love exponentially grew as they welcomed their son Felix III, then daughter Annette along the journey. The family supported one another through multiple military deployments, numerous training exercises, six duty station moves, and enduring Hurricane Katrina. Their bonds only growing stronger with each challenge faced.

Felix served with honor in the United States Marine Corps from 1995 – 2017, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant. His exemplary service in the aviation maintenance community earned him numerous awards and citations, including the Meritorious Service, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement, and Navy Commendation Medals. Amongst Marines, Felix is well known for his unwavering leadership and motivation. His vast technical expertise was often delivered with a witticism. He would make people laugh with his boundless sense of humor and illustrious use of expletives. Yet you would be hard pressed to meet another with such distinct integrity. Even greater was the passion he demonstrated in taking care of and mentoring his fellow Marines. These fervent traits were not confined to the military, they were pervasive in all his life. His love of Country and Corps was only surpassed by the love for his God, wife and children, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Mets.

Through the passion with which he lived, Felix encourages his family and friends – To live life, not just survive it. He would go out hiking National Parks with his family, riding his motorcycle, crafting beer in his garage, or pristinely maintaining one of his vehicles. Training hard to stay physically fit, this occasionally included devouring Hostess orange cupcakes. He continually demonstrated his zest for life by donning his legendary Halloween ‘suit’, making the Boat Cloak cool again, and countless examples more.

His final wishes were for us not to mourn long, but to remember and celebrate the life he was blessed to have. While his physical presence will be sorely missed, his soul and legacy lives on through his family and the multitude of lives he impacted for the better.

Felix is survived by his wife, Gaudy; his children, Felix III and Annette; his parents, Altagracia and Felix I, and his sister Laurana. At Felix’s request, there will be a private funeral with military honors solely for the immediate family and friends. If you wish to pay your respects, we ask that you reach out to a fellow veteran or friend and simply say hello and you appreciate them. The family would like to extend special thanks to the members of San Juan del Rio Church for your friendship and constant love and support. Additionally, thank you to nurses and doctors of the Haven Care Center in Orange Park for your respect and care of our beloved Felix in his final days.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, March 6th 2020 at San Juan del Rio Parish, 1718 FL-13, Fruit Cove, FL, 32259 with the Inurnment to follow at 1:30 pm at Jacksonville Na-tional Cemetery, 4083 Lannie Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32218.

Arrangements are under the care and direction of Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin, 11801 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223. www.hgmandarin.com (904) 288-0025