Aleli S. Grissinger passed away on Friday, November 20, 2020 at the age of 51 at Dr. P. Phillips Hospital after a 3-week struggle with complications from CovID19 and kidney disease. She was the beloved and cherished wife to her husband Joseph, and mother to her two sons, Rajai and Alfie. Aleli was born on August 20, 1969 in Laguna, Santa Cruz, Philippines to Armando and Felisa Sanchez. She married Joe on October 25, 2003.
The world is a much duller place without her radiant smile and beautiful caring heart.
Aleli was first and foremost a devoted wife and mother. She lost her first husband to a tragic accident that left her a widow with an infant son. She left the Philippines alone and naive in 1992 in order to seek a path to provide a better future for her young sons, leaving them behind in the care of her brother and his family. This was a difficult decision for her that often would torment her because of the separation from her children, as well as concerns that her children would think that she had abandoned them. These pains would finally be relieved when she was able to be reunited with her children when they joined her in Orlando on her birthday in 2008 as part of a new family.
Fortunately, her mother Felisa had set her up to work as a nanny for a young family in Washington, D.C. for whom she had also worked. Aleli blended wonderfully with the El Rashed family, and she would spend 11 years with them, helping raise their four young children into fine adults and becoming a beloved member of that family as well.
In 2001, Aleli was suddenly burdened early in her adult life with kidney disease which would require her to go on dialysis from that point on. Despite the challenges and stresses to her body put on her by the disease, she amazed everyone she met that found out she was a dialysis patient; they could not believe how active and vigorous she was. Much of this could be attributed to her dedication in adhering to the very restrictive diet, fluid, and other measures needed to live with no kidney function. The disease would often wear her down, but she never complained, and her strength of spirit would always persevere. She spent 15 years on the transplant lists at two locations, but her high levels of antibodies made for a near impossible match, despite being at the top of the national list for over a decade.
In July 2013, wanting to feel more productive and contribute even more to her family, Aleli began working at a McDonalds near her home. She quickly became a valued team member there, winning multiple employee-of-the-month awards and swift promotion to a manager position. Again, her co-workers were astonished when they would find out she was a dialysis patient because of how diligent and hard working she was.
Aleli was an incredibly talented chef, always trying new recipes and creating her own variations on dishes. She also loved arranging flowers and gardening and spoiling her two dogs, Bear and Ginger. She was a tremendous homemaker, always looking for thoughtful ways to enhance her home.
Aleli loved to travel and seek new adventures, and with her husband’s early retirement in 2017, they were able to take more frequent short overnight trips to various nearby locations. They were limited to a 2 hour distance because of the need to stay close to the transplant centers in case a kidney match was finally found, although this distance restriction was occasionally exceeded… but, Aleli always enjoyed even short local drives exploring new neighborhoods.
Aleli is also survived by her mother Felisa and brothers Arnold, Alain, and Arman.
Please join us in celebrating Aleli’s life on Saturday, December 5, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. at Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Road, Gotha, FL 34734. The service will be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. There will be a catered reception following the service.
In lieu of flowers, her family is asking that donations be made to the American Kidney Fund, which was of tremendous benefit to them for several years and offers tremendous help to many.
Celebrate the life of Aleli Grissinger, leave a kind word or memory, and get additional memorial service information on Aleli’s special webpage:
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/gotha-fl/aleli-grissinger-9913400
“'Cause honey your soul can never grow old, it's evergreen
Baby your smile's forever in my mind and memory”
--from Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
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