Raphael Espino Carreon's Obituary
Raphael Espino Carreon died surrounded by his family on July 27, 2022. He was born in Marion, Ohio on October 24, 1942 to Genaro and Andrea Carreon. Raphael grew up in Dallas, Texas.
In 1975 Raphael opened his first restaurant, Raphael’s, on McKinney Avenue in Uptown Dallas. In 1994 he opened Rafa’s Café which remains a Dallas institution still to this day. With over 44 years of serving his faithful customers, Rafa is one of DFW’s most successful restaraunteurs. Quick with a smile to welcome his customers, he often assured his guests that “mi casa es su casa!”
Very dedicated to the church, Raphael attended Saint Monica’s Catholic Church for over 30 years and he held dear his men’s group at Saint Thomas Aquinas.
He is survived by: his loving wife, Kathy; and his three daughters and son-in-law, Selina Roberts, Amy McGowan and Stacy and Will Eyres. Raphael adored his eight grandchildren: Eli and Ari Roberts; Madeline, Matthew-Michael, and Marissa McGowan; and Alex, Iris, and Holden Eyres. He is also survived by his brother Jesus E. Carreon and sisters Irma Maria Carreon-V. and Susana C. Floyd.
Raphael’s rosary and wake will be held from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at Restland Funeral Home, 1300 S. Greenville Avenue, Dallas, Texas, 75243. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 4, 2022 in Memorial Chapel at Restland with a burial immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, he would prefer donations be made to Pitt Hopkins Research Foundation (PHRF). Raphael was very involved in fundraising for PHRF after his granddaughter, “Lil Bit” Iris, was born with this rare genetic disorder. He was passionate about funding research to improve the lives of individuals affected by Pitt Hopkins.
Please visit https://pitthopkins.org/donate/ for more information.
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