Saturday, February 15, 2025

Arno Fontillas, 57, of Newport News

Arno Fontillas (Weymouth Funeral Home & Crematory)

Arno Fontillas, 57, was unexpectedly called home to be with the Lord on January 25, 2025.

Arno was born in 1967 in Hawaii. A true Hawaiian native, he always enjoyed the times he went back to Hawaii to visit his family. He would always smile and light up whenever he shared stories of his childhood in Hawaii with his friends and Virginia family.

Arno proudly served in the United States Air Force for 21 years. During his military career, he received numerous medals and awards that included: the Humanitarian Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Joint Service Achievement Medal, Airforce Commendation Medal (1 device), Meritorious Service Medal, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Air Force Longevity Service award (with 4 devices), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, NATO Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, Air Force Outstanding Unity Award w/ Valor (3 devices), Air Force Organizational Excellence Award (2 devices), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1st Gulf War). Upon retiring from the military, he worked in the IT field as an engineer until he permanently retired in 2021.

He was an avid motorcycle rider and loved riding his Harley Davidson. One of his favorite pastimes was fishing. He preferred freshwater fishing where he would make his own lures. He was also a proficient saltwater fisherman as well. He participated in water sports, especially kayaking and paddleboarding. During the NFL season, one would always see him cheering on his favorite football team – the Dallas Cowboys. Arno also enjoyed cooking. He made his own noodles from scratch, made signature dishes and was a “Grill Master” when it came to smoking and grilling beef and pork. He enjoyed spending time with family and around 2022, he started setting up lunch dates for the male family members to “hang out” at various restaurants once or twice a month.

Arno is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 20 years, Moon Young; his father, Andrew Fontillas; his sister, Selma Baker (Jeffrey); nephew, Zack Baker and several extended family members. He was predeceased by his mother, Susan Fontillas and his brothers, Tony and Alex Fontillas.

Arno’s departure leaves a void that will never be filled, but his memory and spirit will live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate to know him. He will be deeply missed and never forgotten.

There will be a Military Honors Graveside Service at Albert G. Horton, Jr Memorial Veterans Cemetery (Suffolk, VA) on Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at 3:00 pm.

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