Cipriano Masicampo Deluna

Born on August 18, 1946, in San Jose, Iloilo City, Philippines, Cipriano was the devoted son of Lucio de Luna and Felina Masicampo. He lived a life marked by unwavering service, enduring faith, and boundless love for his family.

Chip dedicated his life to service, first in uniform and later as a civil servant, spanning over five decades of unwavering commitment to the United States Navy.

Commander Deluna joined the Navy in 1966 and quickly distinguished himself, graduating at the top of his class from Steward ‘A’ School. He later earned U.S. citizenship and transitioned into the highly technical field of data processing, marking the beginning of a celebrated career in naval computing and communications.

In 1980, he was selected as a Limited Duty Officer from a field of over 150 applicants. He served aboard several storied vessels, including USS Midway (CV-41), USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), and held critical leadership roles in shore assignments across Naval Special Warfare, Fleet Intelligence, and Computer Telecommunications commands.

Among his many accomplishments, he helped pioneer automation efforts at sea, played a key leadership role in merging Navy data processing and records management functions, and advanced secure intelligence, sharing capabilities across allied forces. He was later assigned to the USS John F. Kennedy as a Combat Systems Officer, where he led the establishment of a fleet-wide combat systems department. His final active-duty assignment was as Assistant Chief of Staff for Information Systems at Naval Special Warfare Command, a capstone role that reflected his technical depth and operational leadership.

Commander Deluna’s personal decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, multiple Meritorious Service and Navy Commendation Medals, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, and over two dozen service and campaign ribbons reflecting global deployments and sustained excellence.

After retiring from active duty, Commander Deluna continued to serve as a civilian subject matter expert with the Naval Network Warfare Command. From 2006 to 2024, he led modernization efforts in the Satellite Communications Division, helping the Navy transition from legacy systems to advanced networking platforms without operational disruption. During his time there, he served as a source of immense knowledge for all, not only at the command, but throughout the Department of Defense Communications community as a whole. He was also a mentor to his younger coworkers sharing his many years of knowledge and wisdom with all. In 2024, he was awarded the Department of the

Navy Civilian Service Commendation Medal, honoring his leadership, technical skill, and enduring devotion to the mission.

In every role, Chip embodied the values of loyalty, humility, and excellence. He was also a devout Roman Catholic whose faith guided his life and shaped the way he served others. He supported charitable causes like Operation Smile and remained deeply involved in his local church community.

If you knew Chip, you knew joy. He laughed big, loved deeply, and made everyone feel like they belonged. He fed people, constantly and beautifully, not just with food, but with stories, encouragement, and time. He believed in you, even before you believed in yourself. He told stories with his whole heart, hands flying, eyes lit up, and always with a punchline that left everyone grinning. In his later years, he and Merv often walked together. Peaceful, steady time that became their way of talking, thinking, and simply being present for each other. His greatest legacy may be how fully he lives on in those he loved: Jeanne, a fellow veteran and civil servant, and Paul, who proudly followed in his footsteps into a lifelong IT career. And when it came to his grandsons, Aiden and Andrew, he was absolutely smitten. He would watch videos of them for hours, laughing to himself like they were telling the joke just for him. As a Lolo, he was all in. Silly, loyal, proud, and always nearby when it mattered most. We will miss his cooking, his stories, his garden, his hugs. But more than anything, we’ll miss the way he made us feel: completely loved, without conditions, and forever his companion.

He is survived by his beloved wife of over 50 years, Tessa; his daughter, Jeanne Tuttle; his son, Paul; his son-in-law, Mervin Tuttle III, who was like a second son to him; and his grandsons, Aiden and Andrew, who were the absolute light of his life. He also leaves behind his large and loving extended family in the Philippines, whose connection and prayers meant the world to him. And no remembrance would be complete without mention of his personal friends, his compadre and family, whom he loved as his own.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Operation Smile or Saint Joseph Catholic Church, Hampton, Virginia, in his memory.

A visitation will take place at Parklawn Wood Funeral Home on Thursday August 7, 2025 from 4-6 PM, at 5:30 PM the floor will be open to share stories of Chips life. A Funeral service will begin immediately after at 6:00 PM