Louis Pellicano

Louis Pellicano,82, departed earth on June 2, 2023 at 6:10pm and was greeted and welcomed into lasting happiness with Jesus, his many friends and relatives, brothers, Father and Mother and his late wife Bonnie.

Louis graduated from the Christian Brothers of LaSalle Cathedral High School in El Paso, Texas Class of 1958 and was a lifelong Irishman, varsity football athlete, scholar and outstanding alumnus and lifelong supporter of his Alma Mater. He co-founded the organization Los Que Van Quedando (LQVQ). In 1981 Mr. Pellicano organized a tribute to the Christian Brothers Order of LaSalle in honor and tribute to his former educators.

Louis grew up in an area of El Paso, Texas known as “The Rock-La Roca”. He remained very close to his childhood friends from Burleson Elementary who as children frequented his family’s Italian grocery business in that same area and Louis was named an honorary Silver Fox.

He served his country and government with Honorable Distinction with U.S. Naval Service aboard the USS Toledo CA133 and USS Pluck MSO 464 and was awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with 1 Bronze Star (Quemoy-Matsu) Vietnam Commendation at the outset of the Vietnam Conflict. Louis was a Navy Boxer and fought in many tournaments. Winning a bout against a far more superior in weight class Marine Louis was awarded a trophy from World Ex-Heavyweight Champion Archie Moore.

After leaving military service, Louis studied and learned and became an optician starting his own business in Tucson, AZ. One of his clients Joseph “ Joe Bananas” Bonanno would often pay a visit to his optician where Louis and him would often talk over coffee in his native Italian language he learned from his Grandfather Vicenzo.

Louis then opted to pursue an innate and gifted talent for painting and freehand drawing which took him to San Diego, CA where he opened an art store with him and his friend "Frisbie" showing off their work to include other painters of the time and period.

Louis returned to El Paso, Texas where he met and married his lifelong wife of 52 years, supporter and devoted friend Yvonne Chavez Fox and started his family. Louis and his young family traveled in his brand new blue ’68 Renault to many areas namely through the Southwest American Tribal reservations located in New Mexico, Utah and Arizona in search of his artistic passions and inspirations for painting and drawing.

He graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Texas at El Paso and Master of Science Degree in Behavioral Psychology from Chapman University. His passion for helping others lead him to become one of the original forces behind the creation of Project Aliviane, Inc.

Louis was employed by the U.S. Federal Government with the Veterans Administration where he devoted 44 years of civil service helping the military veteran achieve merit through vocational rehabilitation lastly of this time serving as regional in charge for management operations for the VA vocational rehabilitation in El Paso, Texas.

In 1975 Louis lead an effort and arranged local and charitable support to bring together the only tribute to date honoring El Paso’s and the Southwest Hispanic’s Medal of Honor recipients. Louis did explore opportunities for entrepreneurship and partnered with a successful idea to start a chain of dollar retail stores in El Paso, Texas for much of the 1980’s.

His many contributions to selfless service to many civic activities included serving as a member of the El Paso Municipal Government Civil Service Commission where he was awarded the Conquistador Award and the Optimists.

Louis was a fervent and devoted faithful man of Catholic Faith and a disciple to the principles and ministry of Padre Pio. Louis was an intellectual writer, accomplished and published author, compadre, and a loyal "Friend" and trusted man of the highest integrity to everyone who knew Dad.

Louis was the eldest of 3 siblings and devoted son to his late Father Luigi Pellicano, Sr. and late Mother Maria Rivas. Louis was dedicated to his late wife Yvonne and surviving daughter Erika Marie Zuniga Pellicano and to all his grandchildren who he loved equal to his love and devotion to God.

Louis's last thought on the morning of June 2, 2023 was to make sure a very heartfelt and sincere "Thank You" was extended to the VA namely Mr. Stan Harmon, Ms. Bridgett Murillo and his RN Ms. Yvonne Waters for their care, support and friendship to him during his critical Illness.

The Pellicano family will receive friends from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, June 19th at Funeraria del Angel Central, 3839 Montana Avenue with a Vigil beginning at 7:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be held at

12 noon at St. Rafael Catholic Church, 2301 Zanzibar followed by interment at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery, 5200 Fred Wilson Blvd. at 1:30 pm with military honors.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.FunerariaDelAngelMartin.com for the Pellicano family.