Henry Jairo Fuentes MD

Born on January 28, 1957, in Barranquilla, Colombia, Henry was raised in Chicago and built a life centered around family, friendship, hard work, and helping others.

Henry was an orthopedic surgeon, but to him, medicine was about much more than treating an injury. He genuinely cared about the people who came to him for help. He went out of his way to make his patients feel valued, supported, and cared for. That same instinct extended far beyond his work. If someone Henry cared about was going through something, he checked in. He called. He visited. He helped. Being there for people was simply part of who he was.

Henry approached everything in his life with passion. Whether he was supporting a friend, caring for a patient, or providing love and support to his family, he gave himself fully to the people and things that mattered to him. Helping others brought him genuine fulfillment, and throughout his life he found countless ways, both big and small, to make the people around him feel cared for and valued.

Henry loved looking back on his years at Gordon Tech High School, where he wrestled and developed a passion for the sport that stayed with him for the rest of his life. Even as his career in medicine grew, wrestling remained an important part of his life, and for many years he volunteered as a physician at the IHSA wrestling tournaments in Champaign, Illinois, combining two things he cared deeply about: the sport he loved and the opportunity to help others.

He also loved baseball, 70s and 80s music, spending time with family, and being with the close friends he valued so deeply. Henry loved to laugh and was always telling jokes, including plenty that his family and friends had heard before. Somehow, hearing the same joke again often made it even funnier.

But nothing mattered more to Henry than his family. He shared 45 years of marriage with his wife, Angelica, whom he loved deeply. He was a supportive and loving father to John, Jessica, and Angie, and a proud grandfather to Makena, Emilia, Landon, Michael, Isla, and Hannah. Henry’s way of showing love was simple and constant. He was there. Through the good times, the difficult times, and everything in between, his family knew they could count on him.

Henry is survived by his beloved wife, Angelica; his children, Jessica, Angie, and John; and his grandchildren, Makena, Emilia, Landon, Michael, Isla, and Hannah.

Henry leaves behind a remarkable legacy, not only through his career and the many patients he cared for, but through the relationships he built and the people he loved. He will be remembered as hardworking, loyal, funny, generous with his time, and always willing to be there for someone who needed him.

For those who loved Henry, his absence will be deeply felt. So too will the many memories, stories, jokes, traditions, and countless acts of kindness that he leaves behind.

Visitation for Henry will be from 2-8 PM on Monday, August 24, at Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home, 17w201 Roosevelt Rd, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181. Funeral to begin at 9 AM on Tuesday, August 25, at Chapel Hill Gardens West Funeral Home, proceeding to Ascention of Our Lord Church, 1S314 Summit Ave, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, for a 10 AM Funeral Mass. Interment will be private.