Joaquin Leonardo (Leo) Morillo took his last breath in the early hours of Sunday, May 24, 2020, at the age of 72, in Orlando, Florida in the company of his family. He died like he lived, on his own terms.
Leo was born November 6, 1947 in Quito, Ecuador, the fourth of six children. He received a Fulbright Scholarship to study at Gonzaga University and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting. With his first wife, Maria Luisa, and their daughter, Michelle, he moved to Mexico where he earned his pilots license and got his Masters in Economics at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. He translated lectures for a professor of Ophthalmology at UAG and met and befriended many American medical students who inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. During his residency at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York City, he met his second wife, Randie, moving with her to Florida. They settled in Orlando to open his practice, the Eye Surgery Center, and raise their two children, Morgan and Zachary.
Leo walked the road less traveled until the end and took comfort in the Buddhist practice of equanimity to cope with increasing limitations from Parkinson’s disease. He will be remembered for his courage, contagious laughter, charisma, beautiful personality, adventurous spirit, infinite curiosity and hunger for life lived to the fullest.
Leo is survived by his three children, Michelle and Morgan of New York City, Zachary of Los Angeles, and his siblings, Jaime, Pepe, Odette and Pilar of Quito, Ecuador, and their families. He will be greatly missed.
Thanks and appreciation for the many prayers and acts of kindness from family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors throughout Leo’s life and final days. Also to the nurses, aides and chaplains at Cornerstone Hospice for their care and compassion.
It was Leo’s wish to be cremated. In lieu of flowers, any memorials in his name may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
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