Rafael Medina Garcia

Rafael Medina was a loving Father, Husband, Uncle, Brother, Son and Friend to many. He was many wonderful things to countless people. To say he will be missed is an egregious understatement; life will never be the same without him and his loved ones will forever keep him in their hearts until the day we are all reunited once again.

Rafael was Born in Habana, Cuba on October 1st 1955 to his Father Rafael Medina Sr. and his Mother Regla "Cuca" Garcia. Ralph is survived by his spouse, Giselle Medina; his son Nicholas Medina; his daughters Chrissy Medina and Kaitlin Medina; His son in-law Noel Lopez and his daughter in-law Nancy K. Cortez. He is also survived by his sisters Maria Luisa Diaz and Ana Margarita "Maggie" Banos, his brother-in-laws Jorge "Bibi" Banos and Mario Diaz, and his three nephews Daniel Banos, Brandon Banos, Christopher Diaz and his niece Olivia Diaz.

During his lifetime, Rafael achieved a prestigious career in Healthcare Administration as a Provider Relations Manager. He not only excelled working in the highly competitive industry that is healthcare, but he brought a strong enthusiasm and passion to what he did. He also forged many lifelong friendships along the way, many who would reach out to him for years to come. Above all else, Ralph worked tirelessly throughout his life to provide for his family and to give his kids an opportunity to live out the American Dream.

Ralph was an explosive personality in every way imaginable. If you gave him the chance, he would talk your ear off about anything and everything. He was always fiercely loyal to his family and friends, under any and every circumstance.

Growing up in Habana, Ralph loved riding bicycles through the city as a kid with his friends and siblings. He had countless stories to share about his past growing up. He loved his home country, it was a huge part of who he was and the type of person he grew up to be.

He also spent time in California as a kid when immigrating from Cuba, and from there he also had countless stories and wonderful experiences as a kid growing up. He was always proud to share that he attended the same high school in California that the Rydell High School from the famous movie "Grease" was based on. He often spoke of the friends he had in California, and would celebrate how they were all from different ethnicities and backgrounds. He was forever grateful to his cousin Maggie Galban and Eddy for welcoming him and his family to California and opening doors and opportunities to escape Post-Castro Cuba and forge a new life in the United States.

He loved countless activities and hobbies, some of his favorites which included fishing and bird keeping. He was particularly fond of finches. He was an excellent Salsa dancer, always dancing with his wife Giselle and his sister Maggie. He was very musically inclined and enjoyed many of the modern classics but also held on to his heritage tightly with his love for Cuban music from greats such as Celia Cruz and Willy Chirino. He was a kid at heart until the very end, often enjoying simple toys such as train sets, RC cars, and K'NEX toys that required a lot of time and patience to assemble. He would often adorn a kidlike appearance at home wearing a tattered baseball cap slightly tilted to the side with sleeveless shirt top, all while taking care of and maintaining his home for his family which he loved to do.

Ralph cherished family more than anything in this world. He loved his family more than anything. All he ever wanted was to give love and support, and for the family to always put their differences aside and come together at the end of the day. He made countless sacrifices and was regularly misunderstood in his well intentions. Misunderstandings that eventually become clear with time on why he did the things he did. Even if it pained him or compromised his relationships with his loved ones, he would take any action no matter how difficult it was, if he truly believed it was for the betterment of his family.

Later in life, one of the things Ralph wanted more than anything was to be around to see his grandchildren come into this world. He absolutely adored children. To see a man with his strength and stature, light up and glow at a chance to coddle a child was beautiful. His children would still love to fulfill his wishes, he will just have to wait a little while before finally being able to hold his grandkids in his arms. In the meantime, he can finally be reunited with his brother Luis "Chiqui" Medina, his Mother and Father, the rest of his family, and Darlee, Pebbles, Bam Bam and the countless pets that equally loved him and also annoyed him.

Every Man, Husband, and Father should aspire to be like Rafael Medina. He will forever live on, every single day, in the hearts of those who loved him the most.

A memorial service for Rafael will be held Sunday, December 17, 2023 from 3:45 PM to 5:15 PM at SeaGrape Pavillion Dr. Von D. Mizell Eula Johnson State Park, 8009 North Ocean Drive, Hollywood, FL 33004.