Felicia Manley Horton

Felicia Manley Horton passed into eternity on Monday, May 16, 2022, with her husband, CAPT Jeffrey Charles “Jeff” Horton, SC, USN (Ret), and best friend Pattye Fava Meagher at her side. Felicia was born in Meridian, Mississippi, on September 10, 1963, the daughter of Ed and Lera (nee Harrison) Manley. She attended the University of Mississippi, where she became a loyal fan of Ole Miss and SEC Football. This obsession continued throughout her life, only taking a back seat for the annual Army v. Navy game. GO Navy! She graduated from Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, with her thesis on the relationship and needs between the urban and suburban churches. She began her career in the Washington office of U.S. Representative G. V. “Sonny” Montgomery of Mississippi but left politics behind to travel the world with Jeff as a devoted Navy spouse. Long Beach, Monterey, Bayonne, Dover (NJ), Denver, Philadelphia, Honolulu, and Yokosuka, Japan—from Picatinny Arsenal to Seventh Fleet and everywhere in between, Felicia was a consummate southern belle and hostess. She loved to welcome guests to her gracious and beautiful home, where even the newest acquaintance would quickly become a treasured friend for life. Her heart for the U.S. Navy (and all the Services), military spouses and children led her to work with the Navy Spouse Clubs at each of Jeff’s postings. That work included managing two charitable retail shops in Honolulu and Yokosuka that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for children’s charities and scholarships. When Jeff was stationed in Philadelphia, Felicia worked at Proclamation Presbyterian Church and the Providence Forum. She also became involved with Stand for Africa, a non-profit that mobilizes national resources, linking them with the community organizations in Africa most capable of administering aid, focusing on children orphaned due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. She helped organize a large fundraising event at the Temple University Liacouras Center and trips to Kenya and South Africa to support the neediest children. She also worked in Philly with military spouses to raise money for Fox Chase Cancer Center. Felicia ultimately returned to a career in political advocacy as the heart and catalyst behind the founding of Docs 4 Patient Care (D4PC) and the Docs 4 Patient Care Foundation. She became the Executive Director in 2010 and worked tirelessly to promote the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship. In her time with D4PC, she guided the organization from a fledgling non-profit to an organization impacting federal health care policy. She conducted five national conferences to train physicians in the Direct Primary Care practice model and was planning their sixth at the time of her death. As a Christian, Felicia lived her faith in the public square, always sharing her love of Jesus Christ with everyone she met and committing herself to studying the Scripture and modeling the Proverbs 31 woman in her everyday life. Beloved wife, fiercely loyal friend, prayer warrior, encourager, cheerleader, and butt-kicker when necessary—she was all of these things and more, a true force of nature who never took ‘no’ for an answer. Felicia was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Manely. She is survived by Jeff, her husband of 30 years, Mr. and Mrs. Charles R. Horton, godchildren, Mrs. Kaitlyn Fletcher Daniel of Bellevue, Nebraska, Mr. Kyle Powell of Denison, Texas, and Sara Donnelly Farrell of Virginia Beach, Virginia, who called her “Deputy Mom.” She is deeply mourned by extended family and friends and is greatly missed by Claude and Burl, her most beloved Himalayans. Family and friends are invited to attend a memorial celebration of her life on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. at Eastern Shore Presbyterian Church in Fairhope, Alabama. Interment will follow later in the year at the United States Naval Academy Cemetery and Columbarium in Annapolis, Maryland. In lieu of flowers, Jeff has requested donations to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation and the Docs 4 Patient Care Foundation. ARRANGEMENTS BY WOLFE-BAYVIEW FUNERAL HOMES & CREMATORY, INC. 19698 GREENO RD. FAIRHOPE AL. 36532 (251) 990-7775