Arturo Serrano

Arturo "Art" Serrano died peacefully at his residence in Fort Collins, Colorado on February 6, 2024, after a prolonged illness. Family was at his side. A funeral mass will be said at St. John XXIII Catholic Church in Fort Collins, Colorado on February 15, 2024 at 11 am. A rosary will precede the mass at 10 am, luncheon to follow. Interment is planned for April 2024 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas.

Art was born March 6, 1937 in Mexico City, Mexico, where he lived until age 8. He is the 6th of 7 surviving children . He is preceded in death by his parents Samuel Serrano and Esperanza (Maldonado) Serrano, and sisters Olga Martinez, Leonor (Gutierrez) Peña, Rosamaria Peña, and his brother Francisco. He is survived by his brother Emilio and sister Martha Hamada, as well as his wife Julia (Segundo) Serrano and daughter Monica Serrano-Toy (Mike) and grandchildren Benjamin, Dominique, and Gabriel.
Although Art started school in Mexico City, his family relocated to Laredo, Texas when he was 8, and he graduated high school from St. Joseph's Academy in 1955. He earned a BS in Physics at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, and subsequently enlisted in the US Air Force. He earned a commission as part of the first Air Force Officer Training School. After completing training at Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, he was assigned to Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico, where he met his future wife, Capt. Julia Segundo. They were married at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, where he took a job with Technology/ Incorporated (subsequently Krug International). He spent over 30 years there, working as a program manager on projects that included lightning research to protect air plane controls from lightning effects. His hobbies included photography, working on English sport cars (especially Sunbeams and Austin Healys), and taking apart and building things, especially electronics. His appreciation of photography came from his father, who was a professional photographer and owned a studio in Laredo prior to the Depression. He was also known to study the tail number of any B-52 he encountered, to see if it was "one of his" from his time in the Air Force, where he was part of squadrons tasked with maintaining B-52s.

He lived over 30 years in Dayton, Ohio and it was there that he joined the Knights of Columbus in ~ 1973 (also following in his father's footsteps). He became a 4th degree knight, and over the years, held many offices, including Grand Knight, Faithful Navigator, State Deputy. In Ohio, he was part of the drill team, and they won multiple state championships. He moved back to Laredo after retiring, helping in care of his mother in her last years. He and Julia subsequently moved to Orange Park (Jacksonville), Florida, where they were very active in their parish, St.Catherine of Siena, including being a CRHP leader. In 2014, Art and Julia moved to Fort Collins to be close to daughter and grandchildren. He continued to be active with his local Knights of Columbus Council and 4th degree Assembly and a strong supporter of Pro-Life activities. In particular, he was a promotor of the Silver Rose. Each year, from early March through mid-December, Silver Roses are stewarded by Knights of Columbus councils along routes from Canada to Mexico. Every stop the Silver Rose makes throughout the pilgrimage is a rosary-centered occasion for Knights, parishioners and community members to pray for respect for life, for the spiritual renewal of each nation, and for the advancement of the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

After several strokes, the first in February 2020, Art had to cut back on many of his usual hobbies. He was a resident at Lemay Avenue Health & Rehab in Fort Collins since 2021, where he was known for always staying active and participating in the many activities offered.

As a family, we are grateful to the staff at Poudre Valley Hospital Neurology Unit, who cared for him in his most recent illness, and to all the staff at Lemay Avenue Health & Rehab, including the nurses, CNA's, activities staff and dining staff. Anyone wishing to make a donation in his honor can do so to Catholic Charities Northern, The Laboure Society (in support of vocations), or Marisol Health Northern Colorado.