Felipe J. Estrada

Felipe de Jesús Estrada, 81, passed away peacefully at his home in New Lenox, Illinois on June 12th, 2024. Known as Phil or Phillip by most, to those closest to him he was Dad, Padre, Flippy, Papi and myriad other nicknames. 

Phil’s legacy lives on with his daughter Jennifer (Gabriel) Griffith, his son Brandon (Rachel) Estrada, and the grandkids he loved so much: Emily, Cameron (fiancée Adriana), Addison, Ella, Caleb, Annie and Josie. Papi was absolutely in love with each one of them. 

He was preceded in death by his parents, José and Josefina, his sister Juanita, and his wife Vickey, the incontrovertible love of his life. Phil is also survived by his sisters Lupe (Jerry) Sanchez and Anna Celia Estrada Sepúlveda (Gerardo Razo Garcia), and many nieces, nephews and members of his extended family, whom he loved dearly. His level of affection for his granddogs Napoleon, Luna, Maple and Honey will, apparently, remain a mystery. 

Born in Jalisco, México, Phil spent the majority of his life in the Chicago area. A proud veteran, he served in the United States Army during the Vietnam era. While his tenure in the Army was brief, you wouldn’t have ever guessed it by the countless Army stories he told over and over and over… 

An entrepreneur and hard-worker at heart, Phil took full advantage of his opportunity to live the American Dream. Not without hardships along the way, Phil was the owner or co-owner of a handful of businesses over the years. His proudest business accomplishments came in the forms of Quimex, Inc. and Petromex, Inc., both of which are still owned/co-owned and operated by his family, by creating an environment where everyone can contribute to, and benefit from, the successes of the businesses. 

He lived his life as a testament to the blessings he received from God. Always known to be abundantly generous to his family, friends, employees, customers, business vendors, and perfect strangers, if someone was in need, Phil was sure to find a way to help. 

Phil loved to work, golf, cuss at his children (and anyone else who annoyed him) in Spanish, plant and tend to the flowers in his yard, dote on his wife Vickey, and scurry off to the basement, or his bedroom, to watch golf or the Spanish-language TV channels during holiday gatherings, once the extended family arrived. 

Though he could be a bit prickly at times, Phil knew how to love well and has left a wonderful example of how to enjoy a life lived fully by being a caring, funny and giving person, without expecting anything in return. 

His memory will forever be cherished by those who knew and loved him.

Family will receive friends at Kurtz Memorial Chapel, 102 E. Francis Road, New Lenox, IL 60451 on Friday, June 21st, 2024 from 12:00 PM until time of the funeral service at 1:00 PM. Interment, Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood IL. In lieu of flowers, donations to Lighways Hospice www.lightways.org  or the Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.org would be appreciated.