ALEXANDER LOUIS FORTUNATO May 23, 1932 – August 5, 2023

Al left us on Saturday, 5 August 2023, to embark on yet another adventure. Conceived in Italy, he was born in Washington, D.C. to Salvatore Fortunato (Sam Fortune) and Erminia Desiderio. A ‘no doubt about it’ Italian-american. His memories of having our nation’s capital’s legislative, executive, and judicial buildings, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Museum buildings, Union Station, various monuments, and The Mall as his childhood playgrounds made for many an interesting tale. He wrote his name in ‘hidden’ parts of several government buildings and monuments. He rolled and hunted Easter eggs on the White House lawn. He rode the Senate subway system. He was an All-american kid with the best ‘playground’ America had to offer. As an adult he was a draftsman, frequently an electrical draftsman, and he really liked his work. When CAD (computer-aided design) came into being, he was immediately interested. The thought of being able to draw a straight line without pencils, erasers, straight-edge rulers, and more erasers was too enticing to pass up so he became a CAD draftsman. He worked for the US Department of Defense for 37 years as a civilian. Working for several different branches of the military and at various locations really appealed to the ‘adventurer’ side of his personality. He alternated between living in the DC – Vir ginia/maryland area and in the Southwest - Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and back to Utah. His last federal job was at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas, NV. It was from here in 1988 he retired from federal service because… A job opening in the NV Clark County Department of Public Works caught his attention, he applied for it and was hired. In 2006 he finally retired from his ‘work’ life to start his ‘play’ life in Sedona, AZ. Al is survived by his wife, Sherry A. Shively, daughter Deborah (Dennis) Jones, son Daniel (Deanna) Fortunato, and sister Anna (Fortunato) Hanbury. There are also granddaughters, grandsons, great granddaughters and great grandsons who will miss him. He was preceded in death by his first wife Irmalee (Wells) Fortunato and sons Thomas, Ronald, and Robert. Al requested no viewing or funeral services. There will be a Celebration of Life next year in Las Vegas to commemorate the life and memory of a very unique, likeable, and loved person. Many thanks to Intermountain

Homecare and Hospice for their care and compassion for Al. Heartfelt thanks to neighbors Jessie and Scooter for their concern and help. If you want to do something in Al’s memory, lend someone a helping hand, offer encouraging words, show compassion toward abandoned, lost, or frightened animals. Smile. P. S. Al’s wife Sherry wanted to get in the last words - “Al, you will always be the most fascinating person I’ve ever met”.