Memorial Scholarships & Grants

Feliciano Benitez was born December 6th, 1958 in Cerro de Ortega, Colima, Mexico. He migrated to the United States as a young man and began a long career in the tree fruit industry that began in the 1970s and continued until the time that he lost his battle with cancer in 2017.

Feliciano and his wife, Antonia, proudly raised four children, Alejandro, Crystal, Hector and Alejandro, in their home in Wapato where they stressed the importance of education and hard work. His son Hector shared that his father was always willing to put it all on the line for his kids; there was never a cost too high. His favorite advice to share was “Never Give Up” and “Work hard to be someone in your world.”

Feliciano’s career with Gilbert Orchards meant a great deal to him and his family. Antonia and their sons, Alejandro, Hector and Alejandro, all work for Gilbert Orchards. Hector shared that he believed his father’s work as a supervisor in the industry meant the most to him because it allowed him to help people and develop their potential. He devoted his life to growing trees and farming and had a true gift for his vocation. Feliciano attended university in Mexico studying horticulture and received his GED in the United States.

Though family and career were important to Feliciano, so was faith and community. He took great strides to make a difference to those living in his home community of Wapato and his birth home in Mexico. Feliciano and Antonia visited prisons and shared scripture with inmates locally and in Mexico. He was musical, sharing this gift in the church choir and in prisons. He participated in Wapato’s annual reenactment of Christ’s crucifixion supporting the effort through his time and financial resources. Feliciano was a resource to family and friends arriving from Mexico, especially during the 1980s, providing places to live and leads for employment.

Feliciano was an avid soccer fan remaining loyal to his Mexican roots whenever the Mexico national team played.