U.S. Army (Ret) SFC Arturo Loya "Cass" Castañeda, 87, of Fayetteville died Thursday April 14, 2016 following a brief serious illness.

Mr. Castañeda, an active parishoner of St. Patrick Catholic Church, was a Bronze Star awarded Vietnam veteran with a 24-year military career honorably serving at Ft. Bragg, multiple U.S. locations, Germany and Nicaragua.

Cass was a dynamic volunteer with multiple social organizations, ready to aid and assist anyone in need, the happy 'Grampy' to nine children of his extended family and a proud longtime friend of Bill W.

Surviving are his son, David Castaneda of New York; sisters Josephine and Emilia of Arizona, Sophia, Natalia, Linda and Carol of California; brothers Armando and Raymond of Arizona and several generations of nieces, nephews.

A Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. in St. Patrick's on Village Drive with Military Honors to follow at the Church. He will rest peacefully next to his late wife, Laura, at Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake.

The family will receive friends at a viewing Monday from 6-8 pm at Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home on Ramsey Street.