Mr. Arturo Serna's Obituary
Arturo Serna, a follower of Christ, civil servant, and beloved husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend died of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease on Friday, May 27, 2022 in Dallas, Texas.
Arturo was born in Monterrey, Mexico on November 24, 1944, the youngest child of Arturo and Dora Serna and younger brother to Yeya (Mireya) and Chela (Celinda). He lived in Dallas most of his life, after obtaining his civil engineering degree from the Universidad de Nuevo León and immigrating to the United States in 1968. Arturo met the love of his life, Cindy, at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas. They got married in 1977 and celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary earlier this year. Arturo was a devoted husband and father, a constant source of encouragement and support for his four children and later, for his grandchildren.
A life-long learner and servant leader, Arturo began his career as a traffic engineer for the City of Dallas, where he contributed to national traffic engineering policymaking and enthusiastically supported many local infrastructure projects, including the creation of the city’s bike trails and the DART Rail. After he retired from the City of Dallas in 2000, he joined the City of Richardson’s traffic engineering team, where he supported countless neighborhood initiatives, keeping us all safe and moving!
Arturo’s greatest joy came in serving the Lord. He and Cindy sang in church choirs together for decades, making a joyful noise in the bass and alto sections. Arturo faithfully supported several generations of missionaries and was honored to serve on the board of Camino Global (now Avant). Someone who sought after Jesus every day, Arturo loved to study theology, learn more about biblical history, and explore scripture both with his family and on his own. He modeled for his family and friends what it meant to live a gospel-centered life.
Arturo learned to play classical guitar as a young boy, and he delighted friends and family over the years with living room concerts. A modern-day Renaissance man, Arturo collected many hobbies over the years - painting, astronomy, chess, physics, languages, archeology, baking, piano, art history, cooking, gardening, world history, philosophy… He loved to learn and was endlessly inspired by the world’s great thinkers.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his sisters Mireya Rhodes (Steve) and Celinda Palmer. He is survived by his wife Cindy Binion Serna; his four children: Marisa Frizzell (Mike), Marcos Serna (Paige), Elena Serna-Wallender (Alex), and Liz Pattillo (Jeff); and his six - soon seven - grandchildren: Cameron and Alyssa Serna, Lucy, Annie, Michael, and Ellie Frizzell, and Baby Pattillo (due in July). He is also survived by many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members across the United States and Mexico.
A celebration of Arturo’s life will be held on Friday, June 10th at 11 a.m. at Stonebriar Community Church (4801 Legendary Drive, Frisco Texas 75034). To live-stream the service, use the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m8hcqTV9Bc. A recording will also be available on Stonebriar Community Church's YouTube channel after the service.
In lieu of flowers, please honor Arturo’s memory through contributions to Dallas Theological Seminary, the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) Foundation, or the charity of your choice.
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