A Life of Service

 At 86, Fred Fels doesn’t seem retired. 

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.

 As a volunteer, he proudly recognizes staff, patients and their families. Fels, who is bilingual,  offers  directions and information. The work is always varied, and some of the requests are sobering. But Fels remains 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 to brain cancer in 2004. And after 61 years of marraige, he lost his  wife to emphysema in 2009.

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

Colleagues say the grandfather of nine and great-grandfather of one is upbeat, dependable, and funny.

 “He’s very nice, very outgoing and an all-around good guy, “ said Troy Smith, a patient service representative.

 Others 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.

 A flick of his wrist reveals colorful elastic bands given to Fels by patients he’s gotten to know. 

 A life of giving

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

His was a childhood of hand-cranked telephones 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 father scrimped and saved 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 San Juan dry dock, equipped with radio teletype systems. 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, 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 1990's, 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.  He helped establish 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 retired to care for his wife, Martha, suffering from emphysema, and his son, Rick.

Seven years ago, 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 plays with the Tampa Bay Bridge Club.  Computer savvy, he likes e-mail and Facebook to keep in touch with friends and far-flung family members.

 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 198os, 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 many lectures at Moffitt.

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

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

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

 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 also has a passion for living.

 “I had a good, beautiful wife, we had four kids who each took their own paths, I have good grandchildren and my kids now take good care of me,” he says. “So it’s good.”

Then, his face breaks out in his signature smile.