Jovito (Jo) Feliciano, 79, passed away on March 10, 2018 after a short illness. He leaves behind his wife of nearly 40 years, Ellen Sanders Feliciano, his daughter Gloria Feliciano Feltman (Tim Feltman), his mother Josefina Gonzalez, his sister Elba Feliciano Mattei (Eleazer) and his brother Miguel Feliciano. In addition he is survived by his brother –in- law Stephen Sanders, his wife Amy and their two children Keith and Kate, his brother-in-law Douglas Sanders and his four children, Jenna, Krista, Jason and Haley, his niece Liz Mattei (Pedro Perez) and her son Carlos. He is preceded in death by his father, Tito Feliciano, his brother Juan Feliciano and his niece Mildred Maldonado.
He was born in Arecibo, P. R. and grew up there. After completing high school, he moved to Chicago. He worked for many years at Western Electric, then when that company left the area, he worked for another wire company. In 1991 he became a stay-at-home Dad, a role that he cherished. He liked working around the house and was at his happiest when he had a project underway. The time at home let him develop his love for gardening and for woodworking. His house is filled with things that he repaired, refinished and things that he made. During his years as a stay-at-home Dad, he often took care of other people’s kids; he was endlessly patient with those kids, and with Gloria and her friends. He liked to cook, and visitors were never in the house very long before he offered them food.
He loved his family and his extended family and particularly enjoyed big family occasions. He enjoyed being outdoors and exercising; he loved running, then later when his legs didn’t allow him to run, he took long walks daily. His walks took him all around the neighborhood and he often stopped and talked with people along the way. He was a caring person who was always ready to help others, whether it was babysitting, picking up mail, doing repairs or running errands. He frequently brought meals or other treats to friends and neighbors who were ill or otherwise in need of a little extra care.
In his last few years he really honed his gardening skills and focused in on his dahlia garden. He had over two dozen dahlias, many with blooms six or more inches in diameter. Most of the plants were taller than he was. He talked to them and tended them daily. His other big interest in the last few years was Gloria and Tim’s dog, Arby, who became his best friend and protector.
Jovito charmed everyone he met. He had a great sense of humor and loved to joke with everyone. He had the biggest laugh you can imagine. Even in his last few days, he joked with his loved ones. His true joy was to care for others and bring a smile to someone’s face. He was a lovely soul that made the world brighter while he was in it. Jovito will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
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