Celestino Echevarria

Celestino Feliciano “Tino” Echevarria, age 85 years of Niles, Michigan died peacefully at 11:25 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, 2018 with family gathered around at his home following a brief illness.

He was born on April 18, 1933 in Añasco, Puerto Rico to Jose Feliciano and Severiana Echavarria, and attended school in Puerto Rico. He came to Niles in 1956, and retired after twenty-eight years of service from the Niles Community Schools.

Tino has been attending Saint Mary Catholic Church in Niles. He and his wife enjoyed traveling to Puerto Rico, took several cruises to the Caribbean, toured South America, and visited Las Vegas. He also enjoyed the produce of his garden, his flock of chickens, and his goats.

On October 25, 1958 in Buchanan, Michigan he married the former Geraldine Carter with whom he celebrated the Fifty-seventh anniversary of their wedding prior to her death on January 19, 2016. He was also preceded in death by his parents, and by several siblings including his sister, Agueda Rodriguez.

Surviving family includes his children, Patricia (& Philip) Bianchini, David (& Tonia) Echevarria, and Steven Echevarria, all of Niles, and Robert (& Patricia) Echevarria of Katy, Texas; grandchildren Shawn Echevarria, Christopher (& Karina) Dunnem, Michael (& Bekah) Echevarria, Amanda Echevarria, Brian Echevarria, Dena Dunnem, Denise (& Nathan) Ford, Kc Dunnem, Haley Echevarria, and Joey Echevarria; ten great-grandchildren; and Tino’s siblings, Isabel Echevarria of South Bend, Indiana, Primitiva Rodriguez and Jose Rodriguez, both of Añasco, and Amado Rodriguez of Phoenix, Arizona; and many nieces and nephews.

The Catholic Funeral Liturgy for Celestino Echevarria will be read at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 30, 2018 at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles by the Rev. Christian Johnston of Saint Mary Catholic Church. Committal Rites will follow at the Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles.

The family will receive relatives and friends from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Friday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at: www.halbritterwickens.com