GUILDERLAND — Mario Caputo Suarez was “without guile, self-sufficient, and very content,” his longtime family friend Martin Kehoe said.

He died at his Guilderland residence on March 11, 2017. He was 63.

Mr. Caputo was born in Barranquilla, Colombia on May 11, 1953, the son of the late Ernesto Caputo Castiglione and Elvira Suarez.

“Mario was a selfless man who would do anything to help those in need,” Mr. Kehoe wrote. “He was always quick to greet you with his charming smile. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”

Mr. Kehoe’s brother, Randall Kehoe, added, “He was a great guy and a great friend.”

Both men knew Mr. Caputo for over 30 years.

The events of Mr. Caputo’s life were outlined by Martin Kehoe.

As a child Mr. Caputo was raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, the eldest son in a family of stature and respect. His father was the owner of a Shell Oil distribution facility in the large port city at the mouth of the River Magdalena. His childhood brought him the discipline enjoyed by his privilege. Tutored in the arts, he became fluent in Spanish, Italian, and, ultimately, English. In his youth, he mastered the martial arts and spent his weekends horseback riding and dining at the local “Club Italia” of Barranquilla.

During the 1970s, he began an itinerant lifestyle that took him from South America to Canada to New York City and eventually to upstate New York. He is a graduate of Schenectady County Community College, where he played varsity soccer and earned a degree in business administration.

A lifelong learner, he also completed coursework at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, Mr. Kehoe wrote.

After leading the life of a journeyman bachelor he married and had a daughter, Angelina, who was the love of his life.

While living in Hoboken, New Jersey during the 1990s, Mr. Caputo became interested in wellness and matriculated in a degree program of Naturopathic Medicine.  He earned a degree offered by Inter American University at the U.N. and had been a practitioner since his licensure in 1999.

Among his many accomplishments, he was most honored by his naturalization as a United States citizen on July 4, 2011.

Never too proud to work hard, he took many temporary jobs, where he performed well, and made numerous friends across New York City and the Capital Region.

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Mario Caputo Suarez is survived by his siblings, nieces, and nephews. His daughter, Angelina Caputo, died before him.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 9, 2017 at 6 p.m. at Christ the King Church in Guilderland, New York.

Memorial donations may be made to Christ the King Church.

— Elizabeth Floyd Mair