Arnaldo "Praia" Borges

We lost our beloved husband, father, and grandfather Arnaldo Fernando Borges on May 8, 2024 at the age of 70. He is survived by his wife Natalia, his son Jason Arnold Borges (Ashley), daughter Julie Natalia Fernandez (Andrew), and four grandchildren, Gregory, Kaleo, Alexa and Amelia. His future grandson Jonah will be arriving soon. He adored his family and loved their gatherings. He also leaves behind his four siblings, John (Stella), Almerindo (Michele), Cecilia (Tony) and Adelaide (James), and numerous aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Supported by their Tio Marcelinho and Tia Alzira, the Borges family immigrated from Terceira Azores in 1969 to offer their children a better life in America. Arnold was a hardworking young man early on and began milking cows on a dairy, giving all his income to his dad to help the family. His cousin Lavern and husband Roy later offered him a job at their gas station and took him under their wings. Shortly after, he met his future wife Natalia at a Portuguese festival when she was 14 and he was 18. They married in 1977, welcomed their son in 1980, and later their daughter in 1990. Arnold ended up working at Kaiser hospital and a few years later entered the construction field, eventually becoming a tile setter. After the physical labor took its toll on his knees, he worked in maintenance at the Santa Clara youth activity center. His last and favorite job was at Santa Clara University, first in the athletic department and then in landscaping as a gardener. He loved working outside and had great pride in keeping his areas beautiful around campus. His most prideful benefit of working there was providing a great, full-ride education for his daughter. After suffering extreme back pain, he underwent back surgery and retired early.

Arnold enjoyed watching his favorite soccer team Porto with his friends. He loved being at the ocean, hence his nickname “Praia” (“beach” in Portuguese), whether it was fishing at the beach or going out on his boat. He enjoyed numerous family camping trips with their RV. He also had a passion for acting in his island’s traditions of Carnival. He often played the part of a woman and was a comedian on stage. After retirement, he started a home vineyard and adored making his own wine. He planted his garden yearly with favas, tomatoes, and zucchini. Most know that his favorite saying was “Walk this way!”

Words cannot express how much we miss him. He was the life of the party and will live on in our hearts forever. “O Amor é tudo,” as he would say. He definitely left his footprint in the world and we will continue his steps as he walks beside us, until we meet again.