Obituary of José A. Fortuño

José A. Fortuño (also known as Joe Fortuno and Josean) was born on March 2, 1927, in Puerto Rico and passed away peacefully at home on August 27, 2023, in Tucson, Arizona, at the age of 96. He is survived by five children from his first marriage (to Helen Pappas, d. 2017): Robert, Terri Lebeouf (George Nardo), Richard, Roger, and Russell; eight grandchildren and four great-granddaughters.  He is also survived by two stepdaughters from his second marriage (to Vanessa Hamilton, d. 2019): Joanna (Todd Johnson) and Lisa, and three step-granddaughters. He was also fond of his many nephews, nieces, cousins, caretakers, and their families who are scattered from Tucson to Florida to Mexico and parts in between.

A visitation will be held at Brings Broadway Chapel, 6910 E. Broadway Blvd., Tucson, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 14, 2023, and a Funeral Mass will be held at Our Mother of Sorrows Church, 1800 S. Kolb Rd., Tucson, at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2023, followed by burial at the northwest corner of Holy Hope Cemetery, 3555 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson.

José was a member of the occupation in Japan, trained in Mexico City as an artist, and was an avid photographer and sudoku and chess player. He was a printer who worked at Tucson Newspapers, Inc. in the sixties and later composed books for the University of Arizona Press and other publishers. One of his proudest achievements was being ordained a Deacon in the Catholic Church. He took an interest in current events and was always ready to dispense wisdom and advice to anyone who would lend an ear.