Local Dad Honors His Son And Father By Volunteering At Moffitt

Fred Fels celebrated his 87th birthday this week. Though retired, his schedule and vitality belie that fact.

Five days a week, he reports for duty at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Through it all, he's got a smile on his face.

A hard-working volunteer, he proudly recognizes staff, patients and their families. Fels, who is bilingual, kindly offers directions and information. His work is always varied, and some of the requests he fields are sobering. But Fels remains focused and undaunted.

“I love being able to help people—especially under devastating circumstances,” he says.

Fels brings a hint of compassion and concern to each interaction. He lost his son, Rick, to brain cancer in 2004. In 2009, after 61 years of marriage, he lost his wife, Martha, to emphysema. Yet he harnesses those experiences to bring a tincture of compassion and humor to those he serves.

“I know what people are going through,” he says, sagely. “If I can bring a little levity to their life, it’s good.”

He says one of his greatest roles has been fatherhood.

"I was so impressed when my children arranged a 50th wedding anniversary trip that included a spot we had gone to on our honeymoon," he says. "That was something. They're great kids."

His daughter Ann Fels Wallace says she enjoys living near her fiercely independent father. The family shares meals six days a week. Musing about her father, she says his volunteer work is something of an inspiration.

“I hope to do the same thing when I retire,” says Wallace, who explains she is impressed by her dad’s mental acuity and community involvement.

She shares fond memories of her childhood. A twin, she and her sister were the youngest of four. She recalls her dad showed a strong interest in the family. It’s something she says she remembers fondly.

“… as a little girl, my father would get on the floor and play with us." she says. “He was completely involved in whatever we did … and was always there for us.”

In turn, Fels says he derives great joy from his family.

“We praised the children's accomplishments, and if they showed interest in any field, encouraged them to get involved,” he says.

He spends time communicating with far-flung friends and family via Facebook and e-mail. In person, his conversations are laced with stories about his progeny.

“I remember my friends would brag about the top scores their kids got,” he says. "But I wonder now if their kids are looking after their parents, the way mine look after me.”

Colleagues at Moffitt say Fels is kind, dependable and friendly. They speak of his devotion to helping others.

“If he’s not here, patients and staff ask about him,” says Debra Emory, volunteer representative at Moffitt. “Everyone knows him and he’s led a fascinating life,” she says.

Some share anecdotes. There’s one about how Fels came in on Christmas Eve to keep the family of a gravely ill patient company.

That’s the quintessential Fels.

“The patients give me more joy than I can ever give,” he says, brushing off any accolades.

A flick of his wrist reveals colorful elastic bands given to Fels by patients he’s gotten to know. While he is somewhat stoic, colleagues say he has a heart of gold.

“He loves coming into to work,” says Emory.

A life of giving

That passion for service started early. Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, his was a family with few extras. He recalls giving pennies to those less fortunate—the "pordisero."

He recalls hand-cranked telephones, radio and no television. He played outside—shuffleboard, marbles, spinning tops and bike riding.

When war broke out in 1939, the world changed and everyone talked politics on the island that offered U.S. citizenship only a dozen years earlier. Fels recalls how his father, a native of Czechoslovakia who worked for United Fruit, listened to Hitler on the radio, gnashing his teeth at every word.

Fels developed a keen interest in becoming a U.S. Naval officer, so his parents scrimped a bit, saving money to send him to Admiral Farragut Academy in Pine Beach, N.J. But Naval Officer Candidate School didn’t go as planned. Yet Fels landed a civilian job back at Hato Rey, the Navy’s dry dock in San Juan, equipped with radio teletype systems. His education expanded as Fels soon realized his $28 weekly salary was far less than that of co-workers from the American mainland.

Back on course

Fels returned to the Navy as an enlisted radio technician, serving aboard the USS John W. Weeks. Destination: The Pacific.

“We were attacked by Japan, and Germany was killing people and trying to eliminate a race,” he says. "It was an honor to serve."

Proud of his four enlisted years, Fels easily slips into the nautical lingo he used long ago. He thumbs through his photos and memorabilia, proudly displaying Leaky Weeks, a shipboard newsletter. He speaks fondly of the commanding officers, demonstrating an impressive recall.

After the war, Fels attended Duke University on the GI Bill, earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering. During that time, he met his future wife, a native of North Carolina, who was studying to become a nurse.

The couple returned to Puerto Rico, where Fels worked as an engineer and small-business owner, and had four children. By the 1990s, San Juan had changed, and after Fels was mugged three times, he and his wife moved to Tampa. In 1998, they found a place in Forest Hills, overlooking the rolling hills of the Babe Zaharias Golf Course, near his daughter Ann, and her family. It didn’t take long for Fels to become involved with the Forest Hills Neighborhood Association.

“In those days, it wasn’t unusual to see 60 or 70 people turn out for a meeting,” he says.

He began caring for his wife, Martha, who was suffering from emphysema, and his son, Rick. In 2005, Fels began volunteering at Moffitt. He says it's felt like home ever since.

He also enjoys the scores of musicals, such as “South Pacific” and “Carousel.”

“I love the music of those days,” he says, a bit wistfully.

In his day, he was an accomplished dancer—the Paso Double, Rhumba, Conga and Foxtrot.

“With my wife and other beautiful women,” jokes Fels, who loves joshing.

Twice weekly, he devotes evenings to playing with the Tampa Bay Bridge Club. A bit of a gourmet, he’s been experimenting in the kitchen, cooking for family twice a week.

“I just made a very nice chicken with apricot sauce,” he says. “I also make a fantastic arroz con pollo.”

He’s an avid reader, currently in the midst of “Hard Fall,” an action-packed novel by Ridley Pearson. In the 1980s, he founded the San Juan Men’s Master’s Swim Team. Until two months ago, he exercised every day and says that is his legacy. Now he’s sidelined with ankle pain.

Fels attends legislative days in Tallahassee to support the hospital, and also attends many lectures at Moffitt.

“I find it interesting because they tell you where cancer treatment is today,” he says. “The stem cell work they’re doing is just another targeted point toward the cure for cancer. It’s fascinating.”

He proudly wears a pin commemorating his 3,000 hours of service to the hospital. He’s currently closer to 4,000 hours, an accomplishment that makes him beam.

“My father always told me to be sure I left something good behind in this life,” he says.

It is also a way to honor his son.

“Everyone was so nice to us, and he told me, ‘If I get better, I’m going to volunteer here.' Rick couldn’t, so I do,” says Fels.

Despite some unexpected challenges, he maintains a sunny outlook.

“I think I’ve been blessed,” he says. “I’ve learned common sense and a smile will get you through anything.”

Fels says he loves his family and that fatherhood was one of his best moves. His passion for living and engagement keeps him up to date on politics, the economy and foreign affairs.

Sometimes, Father’s Day coincides with Fels’ birthday and makes for an extra special celebration. While not the case this year, Fels was feted with two surprise parties at Moffitt and a small family dinner. A special family reunion is planned for some time in the near future. It all makes Fels smile widely.

"My father is an inspiration and an awesome guy," Wallace says.

It’s been a heady week for Fels.

“Never knew that I have meant so much to so many,” he says, modestly. “I had a good, beautiful wife, we had four kids who each took their own paths,” he says. “I have good grandchildren and my kids now take good care of me. So it’s good.”

Then, his face breaks out in his signature smile.