Obituary of Carlos F. Luna

Carlos F. Luna passed peacefully and surrounded by the love of his family on Saturday, April 14 at his home in Fairfax, VA. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, April 27 at 8:00 PM at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church located at 8601 Wolftrap Rd, Vienna, VA 22182. His wife, Maria Teresa Garces-Luna, is accepting donations on Carlos name to Saint Jude Children Hospital in lieu of flowers. Carlos was born in Lima-Peru on January 27, 1932. He immigrated to the United States in the early 1950’s and soon after enrolled in the Army participating in the Korea War. Carlos was a passionate, social and loving human being who loved life in all its senses. He traveled around the world and developed a strong bonding with his adoptive country, Cuba. He spoke multiple languages and was fascinated by world culture. Carlos married his late wife Outi Hilkka Luna, native of Finland, in 1967 and later married his wife Maria Teresa Garces-Luna, native of Peru, with whom he traveled and enjoyed life until his final days. Carlos did not have born children but loving stepchildren, Claudia, Alex, Javier and Frescia, and grandchildren Rodrigo, Gonzalo and Mayu (“Candelario” as he used to call him). Carlos was extremely committed to his work. He developed an airlines career at TWA for 35 years, which he was very proud of…proof of that is all the TWA merchandise we have in the house, he used to say that those were “collection items”. After retirement, he continued working, first at the Dulles airport and later at the Department of State. He worked until 2011. Nono, as his grandchildren used to call him, was an individual of many talents and interests. He enjoyed gardening, cooking, picture painting, poem writing, reading and wine drinking among others. He loved getting to know people; he always had a good story and a joke to tell. He also enjoyed giving driving directions even though those might or might not take you very far. Carlos met his wife Teresa in 2000 and spent the last 12 years together. They traveled to many countries, enjoyed having friends and family over at their home and participated in as many adventures as they could or were forced to, they even went camping with Claudia and Alex many times. Teresa used to call him “my human dictionary” because he knew so many things or if he didn’t know, he would make it up. Nono lived a full life and left us a legacy of character and determination and as he always used to say, “mind over matter”. He passed away surrounded by his family near a window that looked to his garden that he dearly loved. His jokes, stories, smile and memories will live with us forever and ever. We love you always Nono!