Felicia Ann Leon-Driscoll

Felicia Ann Leon-Driscoll, 53, of South Bend, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her loving family on August 17, 2017.

Visitation will be held at St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church on Sunday, 8/20/2017 at 3pm – 7pm with evening Prayer at 6:00pm.

Funeral service will be held at St. Therese Little Flower Catholic Church on Monday, August 21, 2017 at 10:00am. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery.

Felicia was born in Wellsburg, West Virginia to William J. Leon and Anne M. Lupinetti Leon on February 5, 1964. She attended Brooke High School, graduating in 1982. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Notre Dame’s Program of Liberal Studies and returned to earn a Master’s Degree from the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. Felicia’s life’s work and passion was children. First as mother, then as teacher, then as childbirth educator. She spent the last fifteen years working with children as a catechist at Good Shepherd Montessori School in downtown South Bend, a school she founded alongside her husband, Dan, and other parents committed to the well-being of the child. At Good Shepherd she also served as Director of Community Relations. Felicia worked as Peace and Justice Education Coordinator at Iona College in New Rochelle, New York. She moved to South Bend with her husband in 1994 where she was Volunteer Coordinator at the South Bend Center for the Homeless.

Felicia was a childbirth educator and doula, preparing expectant parents using the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth. She liked to tell her children about her earlier jobs, including wedding photographer, aide at a psychiatric hospital, and ice cream scooper at the Huddle at Notre Dame. She claimed she was let go for giving scoops that were too big! She was proud of her work as census worker for the 2010 federal census and had looked forward to doing it again.

Felicia’s community involvement was extensive. She was President of the John Adams Athletic Boosters, reflecting her love for community, youth, and sports. She was a longtime catechist in the atrium at Little Flower Catholic Church. She was an early member of Purple Porch Co-op, and was involved in several community gardens and community sponsored agriculture. She enjoyed directing interns at Good Shepherd, working with students from IUSB, St. Mary’s, Holy Cross, and Notre Dame. She loved hosting exchange students at home.

 Felicia is preceded in death by her parents, William J. and Anne M. Leon.

Felicia is survived by her husband, Daniel W. Driscoll of South Bend. Her children, Padraig (Paddy), Clare, John (Jack), Liam and Maeve. Her siblings William J. Leon, Jr. and wife Alison of Morgantown, West Virginia, Dr. John A. Leon and wife Marcy of Fairmont, West Virginia and James T. Leon, DDS and wife Mary of Powell, Ohio. Beloved nieces and nephews William, Katherine (Damien), Johnny (Jessica), Camille, Isabella, Joseph, Nicolette and Luke Leon, Caitlin Anderson (Matthew), Colleen and Emily Driscoll, Erin and Sean Hannaford. Great nieces and nephews Grace and Evelyn Crawford and Gunnar Anderson.                                                

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the Felicia Leon-Driscoll Scholarship Fund at the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County,  P. O. Box 837, 205 W. Jefferson, Suite 610, South Bend, Indiana 46624. Condolences may be left in Felicia’s name on the online guestbook at www.kaniewski.com.

Mother, spouse, sister, aunt, friend, community organizer, fruit picker, dog walker, loudest Adams fan, bridge builder, family gardening supervisor, visionary, reunion planner, naturalist, costume wearing champion, last one to arrive…and last to leave. She shared her faith and her love with her family and the whole community and she will be greatly missed. “Always preaching the gospel, sometimes using words.”