Mateo Encinosa

Born to the late Mateo and Ethel Encinosa, Matt grew up in Taft, Florida, which is just south of Orlando. Matt attended and graduated from Orlando High School in 1950. In July 1953, Matt married the love of his life, Jo Ann Patrick, of Orlando, Florida. A Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, he proudly served from 1953 to 1961, and also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Commercial Art from the University of Kansas in 1958.

Matt was the beloved husband of Jo Ann (Patrick) Encinosa and they recently celebrated 65 years of marriage. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mateo and Ethel (McKinley) Encinosa, grandparents, Mateo and Florence (Fulford) Encinosa, and Malone and Nora Belle (Jones) McKinley, and granddaughter, Summer King to whom he was a devoted grandfather.

Matt is survived by his wife Jo Ann, and children, Colleen Encinosa-Wong, Pat Encinosa (Belci), Alan Encinosa (Cynthia), and Eric Encinosa (Beth Ann); brothers Bob Encinosa (Sonja) and George Encinosa (Dale); grandchildren Mat Encinosa (Jamie), Taylor Encinosa (Angie), Will Wong, Max Wong, Mateo Encinosa, Maria Encinosa, and Maya Encinosa; great-grandchildren Aiden Encinosa and Emmalyn Encinosa.

Matt enjoyed a long and successful career in commercial art at his Jacksonville business, Encinosa Advertising Art. Matt designed art for, and worked with the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad which was particularly rewarding for him and remained one of his longest standing accounts. Matt created beautiful art, and as a hobby he painted many pieces including animals, nature and landscapes. Recently, his series of Florida Cracker Cowboys were displayed at the Bartram Trail Branch Library. He was an avid humorist and an accomplished cartoonist.

His hobbies also included horticulture and landscaping with rare exotic palms and cycads, along with many other tropical plants. In the 1970's, NE Florida had 4 palms that were known to be tolerant of the local winter temperatures. Through many of his experiments, there are now over 70 species of palms that are able to be grown in North Florida. Matt also cross bred bromeliads and has several named varieties. Matt was a member of the International Palm Society, and past President of the Florida First Coast Palm Society. He and his wife enjoyed traveling to tropical countries to explore nature and see his favorite plants in their natural habitat, and he always came back with hilarious stories of the unplanned adventures along the way. During his travels, he acquired a taste for good quality Costa Rican coffee and tropical fruit. And since his childhood, he loved eating many varieties of his favorite fruit – mangoes!

Matt enjoyed the outdoors and took many camping trips with his family when his children were young. He passed down his appreciation and enthusiasm for the outdoors to his children, and his grandchildren who considered him an expert in animals and plants. His grandchildren loved learning about his life experiences serving in the Air Force and his many travels. He was a very caring and loving father and grandfather, and he did not miss special events for his grandchildren. His children knew how much they were loved and how proud he was of them, and will miss the way he looked and smiled at them with that twinkle in his eyes (or the “stink eye” if you were up to no good! That look stopped friends and family in their tracks).

A lifelong Methodist, Matt was a member of Mandarin United Methodist Church since 1972. There he started the Boy Scout Troop 268. He was very active and involved in the scouting programs, as were his children. Matt enjoyed lifelong friendships made through scouting and thoroughly enjoyed hearing how those he helped lead were succeeding in life.

Matt was also an active volunteer for Operation Christmas Child, along with his wife, Jo Ann, helping in the annual effort to pack shoeboxes for worldwide distribution to disadvantaged children. In his later years, he contributed quite a bit of his time to this charitable organization through volunteering at the OCC Processing Center in Atlanta and through supporting the local effort to distribute, pack, collect and transport shoeboxes.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Matt's honor to Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry, https://www.samaritanspurse.org/memorial-page/mateo-matt-encinosa-fruit-cove-fl." target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://www.samaritanspurse.org/memorial-page/mateo-matt-encinosa-fruit-cove-fl. Matt would truly be honored if you would continue the shoebox tradition in your family. https://www.samaritanspurse.org/

Friends and family are welcome to attend Matt’s celebration of life service at the Mandarin United Methodist Church, 11270 San Jose Boulevard, Jacksonville, Florida, 32223. The service will be on Saturday, September 1st, at 1:00 pm and will be officiated by his son, Rev. Alan Encinosa, and Rev. Jeff St. Clair.

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21.