Obituary of Wilfredo Quiroz Castaño

Wilfredo Quiroz Castaño August 17, 1946 - April 21, 2018 Resident of Santa Cruz, California Wilfredo Quiroz Castaño, 71, passed away in Stockholm, Sweden on April 21, 2018 with family by his side. He passed away from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Wilfredo was born and raised in Tucson, Arizona. He joined the US Marine Corps and spent a year in Vietnam as a generator technician. He obtained a BA Degree from San Francisco Art Institute and a Master's Degree in English & Writing from San Francisco State University. He was an accomplished artist, photographer and poet. Before retirement he worked as a photography teacher at De Anza College. He enjoyed collaborating with people to inspire their love of photography, poetry and the arts in general. He believed strongly "the arts" helped us access our true spirit. Wilfredo loved to travel and he appreciated the beauty of nature. He was interested in history and loved to watch the 49ers and Giants play. He was a compassionate and generous man. Being a Vietnam Veteran himself he had a special place in his heart for homeless veterans. At the end of the day, he was a homebody and preferred to spend time with his family. Wilfredo is survived by his loving wife of over 16 years, Camilla Nylander Castaño; daughter, Ellinore Nylander Castaño; sons, Jules Villanueva-Castaño and Gil Castiano; brothers, Alfred J. Quiroz and Fred Castaño; and many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nephews, cousins and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfredo Castaño and Hilda Alvarado. Please join the Castaño family for a Celebration of Life at the Santa Cruz Memorial - Mission Chapel, 1927 Ocean Street Ext., Santa Cruz, CA 95060 on Friday, August 17, 2018 at 11:30 AM. Wilfredo loved the whole spectrum of colors. In honor of Wilfredo's colorful personality, the family would like guests to feel free to wear any color in lieu of all dark clothing.