Luis Orlando Santisteban

Luis Orlando Benitez, lovingly known as "Huicho" and "Lucho" to the family who adored him, passed away in Thomasville, Georgia, at the age of 49. He lived a life full of horsepower, altitude, and laughter, and he would want us to remember it exactly that way.

Born and raised in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Luis carried his homeland and his big, loving family with him wherever life took him.

Luis proudly served his adopted country in the United States Army, retiring honorably as a Sergeant. As a unit supply specialist, he kept soldiers equipped wherever the mission went, including a tour in Iraq and a posting in South Korea. His honors include the Army Commendation Medal, two Army Achievement Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Korea Defense Service Medal, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. He also earned the Army Driver and Mechanic Badge, which surprised exactly no one who ever watched him take apart a Jeep. His service was one of the great prides of his life.

Aviation was his other great love. Luis worked with several airlines before and after his time in uniform, earned multiple pilot ratings, and fell completely in love with drones. He was thrilled to begin a new chapter as a Professor of Aviation at Tallahassee State College, where he taught his students all about unmanned aerial systems with an enthusiasm that was impossible to miss. If it flew, Luis wanted to understand it, fly it, or build a model of it.

At home, you could usually find him rebuilding a Jeep, gluing together a model plane, or admiring his beard and mustache. Luis was convinced they made him look dashing. His kids were equally convinced he looked like a villain from a cartoon. Neither side ever backed down.

Above all, Luis loved his family, and his children most of all. He was a joyful, soft-hearted dad and the biggest pushover they ever knew. They knew it, and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Luis is survived by his wife, Cristina Castillo; his children, Ysabella, Lukas, Julianna, and Lilianna; his mother; his two sisters; and a large, loving extended family in Guatemala and around the world.

A Funeral service will be held at St. Augustine Church in Thomasville at 10am on Monday, November 16th.

There will also be Miliary Honors and a Memorial at 1:00 pm on Monday at Tallahassee State College, room FCAP 104.

Gone Fishing

He cast his line out once a yearwith all the hope a man could hold,and every year came home the same:no fish at all, just one more cold.

So here's to you, our dashing Dad,your mustache curled, your Jeep tuned right,the open sky all yours to fly,where finally the fish all bite.