James V. Felicetta, M.D., of Oxnard, California, passed away at age 66 on December 23, 2015, after a brief illness, in Oxnard. Dr. Felicetta was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 1, 1949, to Vincent Frank Felicetta and Alice Marie Felicetta, the older of two siblings. He graduated from Bellingham High School in Bellingham, Washington, in 1966, and then received his B.S. degree summa cum laude in chemistry at the University of Washington in 1970. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 1974, receiving Alpha Omega Alpha honors in his third year. He did his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then returned to Seattle for three years of fellowship in endocrinology and metabolism. He then embarked upon an academic career that took him first to the University of Michigan medical school for four years, then Wayne State University medical school for three years, and then all University of Arizona medical school for 27 years. Dr. Felicetta served as Chief of Medicine at the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, from 1987 through 2014, during which time he was able to direct an extraordinary growth in the academic and research output of that institution. After retiring from that post, he worked for an additional eight months seeing patients at the VA satellite in Oxnard, CA, before retiring a second time. Dr. Felicetta was the author of over 150 scholarly articles, books, editorials ,and letters, and he was a much-in-demand lecturer held in high esteem by trainees and colleagues at all levels. He served as Governor of the Arizona chapter of the American College of Physicians (internal medicine physicians) in 2013 and 2014, reluctantly relinquishing that post with a move to California. He also served as Editor-in-Chief of the national peer-reviewed publication Federal Practitioner from 2006 until 2015. Dr. Felicetta was a very happy family man. He married Susan Marie Roman of Detroit, Michigan, on August 3, 1985, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Detroit. The happy newlyweds moved to Scottsdale, Arizona two years later and soon began adopting a large joyous family. They adopted a total of six children: John Paul Felicetta (Goff) of Brooklyn, New York, Michael Vincent Felicetta (deceased), Julie Lynn Felicetta of Las Vegas, Nevada, Alice Frances Felicetta of Phoenix, Arizona, Carolyn Rose Felicetta of Tucson, Arizona, and Robert James Felicetta of Oxnard, California.
Dr. Felicetta is survived by his loving wife Susan, of Oxnard, California, the five surviving children named above, his sister Gail Alice Fuller of Bellingham, Washington, a special maternal aunt Edie Irvine of Seattle, Washington, his brother-in-law James P. Roman and family of Katy, Texas, and cousins Linda Butterfield, Nancy Felton, Robert Kropp, M.D., Joanne Conrad, and Lori Esperum, all of the Seattle area. No service will be held, and cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Heart Association.
Arrangements under the direction of the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, Ventura.