Felix Kawalec

Felix Kawalec, a private and unpretentious man who was filled with love, humor, and an uncanny ability to fix things, passed away May 1st of complications from dementia. He was surrounded by his family in his final moments. He was loved.

Felix was born in Wintersdorf, Germany on May 16, 1946. He lived his first years on a farm. He fondly recalled picking wild strawberries and collecting rhubarb with his younger sister, Irene. At the age of seven, Felix’s family decided to leave Germany for the United States.

The family ended up in Chicago. Unfamiliar with the language, Felix struggled with school, particularly with the nuns who had little patience for a rambunctious boy who didn’t understand English. He spent a large part of one school year playing “hooky” and hiding out in a nearby park, only going home when he saw other children leaving the nearby school. Eventually, his ruse was discovered and he was forced to learn both the language and the catechism.

His memories of his youth in Chicago were filled with stories of running the streets with his friends, Big and Little John, of being an altar boy, and the joys of playing pool at the boys club. The hours spent playing pool must have taken up the majority of his free time, because as an adult he had an uncanny ability to curve the ball to his will and run a table when he hadn’t picked up a cue in years.

Upon graduating high school, Felix joined the Air Force. He was stationed in Southern California where he met his future wife, Cecilia Martinez. He and Cecilia were married and spent 53 years together.

After leaving the Air Force, Felix obtained a degree in electronics and worked in the aerospace and defense industries. He was employed by Rockwell International and Loral Aerospace. Felix also worked as a city bus driver to fill in time before his retirement. No matter where he worked, he would always come home with funny stories to tell.

Felix and Cecilia had a son, Nicholas, raised with love. Felix and Cecilia traveled, biked, and spent time with family. He enjoyed visiting his son, his daughter-in-law: Tara, and his grandson: Sawyer, in Colorado and biking the Buffalo Classic. However, his favorite way to spend his retirement was to go on vacation but not tell his son where he was. He would send his son photos so he would have to guess where his parents were.

At 75 Felix was diagnosed with dementia, and later moved to Colorado to be closer to his family. His loving wife took care of him up till the very end.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one or all of the following charities:

UNHCR - The United Nations Refugee Agency

Buffalo Bicycle Classic Scholarship fund

Alzheimer's Association