An expert seamstress, Felisa set herself the goal of creating employment in Puerto Rico by launching a local clothing factory.

In order to master necessary skills, she worked for two years in New York City during the Great Depression, living with relatives, including her sister Josefina.

Throughout her lifetime, she remained closely tied to the Roman Catholic Church, as she directed her efforts to raising the standards of living for impoverished Puerto Ricans.

Rincón de Gautier designed innovative public services and established the first preschool centers called "Las Escuelas Maternales", which would eventually become the model for the Head Start programs in the United States.

Rincón worked with Ricardo Alegría to restore and conserve the historical structures of Old San Juan and provided housing and basic services to thousands of people.

In 1951, during the Cold War era, she ordered the establishment of the island's first Civil Defense system which was under the directorship of Colonel Gilberto José Marxuach.

On the Día de los Reyes (Three Kings Day), celebrated on January 6, she would bring gifts and treats to the poor and needy children.

Felisa Rincón de Gautier died due to a heart attack and a rumored stroke on in San Juan, on September 16, 1994 at the age of 97, and she was given the burial honors of a head of state.

In both Puerto Rico and the United States, numerous public structures and avenues have been named in honor of Rincón de Gautier.

There is a Felisa Rincón de Gautier Museum and a parking lot with the name of Doña Fela on Calle Recinto Sur in Old San Juan.

[14] On March 14, 2019, The Puerto Rican Arts Alliance (PRAA) honored Felisa Rincón de Gautier with the Distinguished Woman award.