Anthony Michael Felton

When Anthony Michael Felton walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Anthony was and how he impacted those around him. Anthony was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Anthony wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Anthony was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.      Anthony was born on July 2, 1986 at Regional Medical Center in San Jose, California. He was the son of Morrie Gutierrez and Sylvester Guzman. Anthony was born and raised in San Jose, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Anthony might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Anthony was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.      Anthony was raised with two siblings and one sibling-in-law. He had an older brother, Johnny, a younger sister, Tracie, and a little brother-in-law, Zeff. Anthony was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Anthony was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Anthony well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.      As a young boy, Anthony was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Anthony was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Anthony took part in football and basketball. He was good at every sport, but loved weightlifting. He was a basketball player at John Mier Middle School, and played football at Pioneer High School. In his spare time he liked to exercise by lifting weights and playing football. Anthony's memorable achievements included winning a paper plane science fair at Reed Elementary School in the 6th grade. Anthony had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.      During his high school years, Anthony responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He left school in 2005. Anthony absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistent in using his imagination to master his assignments. For Anthony, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Anthony a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was P.E. and Anatomy.      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Anthony was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Anthony was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Victor, Dupree, and Aaron. Later in life, he became best friends with his wife, Janelle.      On August 8, 2008 Anthony married Janelle Martinez at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove, California. Anthony's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Janelle's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Anthony was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.      Anthony was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was as a UPS Freight Unloader. Anthony was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Anthony had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Anthony's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.      Because Anthony loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were working out and body building. Anthony had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Anthony's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.      Anthony derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Anthony participated in weightlifting and football. Recreational sports included weightlifting. Anthony was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football.      Because Anthony was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Anthony's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Anthony found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Anthony valued the importance of community groups, and was committed to donating to the United Way.      Anthony's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Anthony loved going to the beach, and was excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer.       Anthony was also a lover of animals and cherished his pets. He had a pet cat named, Ivory, and two turtles named, Turds and Turdsy. He was best friends with Ivory for 14 years, and Turds and Turdsy for 1 year.      Anthony Felton passed away on November 8, 2009 at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, California. He is survived by his wife, Janelle; his parents, Morrie Gutierrez and Sylvester Guzman; his brother and sister, Johnny Felton and Tracy Guzman; his brother-in-law, Zeff Iorizzo; and the rest of his family and friends. Services were held at Oak Hill Funeral Home in the Chapel of the Oaks. Anthony was laid to rest in Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose, California.      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Anthony. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Anthony Felton for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Anthony was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.