Raul A. Vazquez, Sr.'s Obituary
Raul A. Vazquez, Sr. 88, of Tampa, FL and Santiago de Cuba, Cuba passed away on July 28, 2025.
A native of Santiago de Cuba, Raul grew up down the street from his wife of 65 years, Martha, where they started dating as teenagers 71 years ago. He left Cuba at the age of 20 in 1957, after finishing college and at the height of the Cuban Revolution, accompanied by his brother Arturo. After seeking political asylum in the U.S., he settled in Newark, New Jersey and then volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army. Raul returned to Cuba in 1960 at the end of his military service to marry Martha, and afterward their extended families joined them in New Jersey. He began a career in manufacturing with Clorox rising through the ranks in various managerial roles. The family moved to Tampa in 1978 (following Arturo and his family who had moved to Tampa a few years earlier), and he continued his career with Purex and Dial. Always the hustler (which was his word), he built a second business as tax advisor and preparer, beginning with the tax returns of soldiers who didn’t know how to complete the forms, to many Cuban families who had moved to New Jersey, and then to a broad client base throughout Tampa, which he continued for the rest of his life.
Raul had two loves of his life – his family and baseball, and, in particular, the New York Yankees, who he began to follow while in Cuba. He followed the Yankees religiously, celebrated their many victories, and criticized the manager and team for poor decisions. He was such a fan that he would turn off the TV if they were losing as it was not bearable to watch.
Raul was a family man and the proud father of three sons: Raul Jr., Michael, and Steven. He loved his nieces and nephews as if they were his own children and loved his grandchildren, Benjamin, Alex, Sofia, Emilia, and Adrian, even more.
Raul was preceded in death by his parents, Heleodoro and Ines Vazquez, and his brother, Arturo Vazquez, Sr. Remaining to cherish Raul’s memory are his wife of 65 years, Martha Vazquez, his children, Raul Vazquez, Jr., Michael Vazquez, and Steven Vazquez, his grandchildren, Benjamin Vazquez, Alexander Vazquez, Sofia Vazquez, Emilia Vazquez, and Adrian Steven Vazquez, sisters-in-law Berta Vazquez and Blanca Ramos, brother-in-law Rodrigo Ramos, and his nieces and nephews, Soraya Maguregui (Vazquez). Zoe Reeber (Vazquez), Arturo Vazquez, Jr., Mark Ramos, and Michelle Ramos.
Family and friends are invited to a visitation on Sunday, August 10, 2025, from 11 AM to 1 PM, with service to follow from 1 PM to 2 PM, at Boza & Roel Funeral Home, 4730 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, FL 33603. Interment is at 3 PM at Sylvan Abbey Cemetery, Clearwater, FL.
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