With heavy hearts and deep love, we announce the passing of Rafaela Escalante Verdugo, a beautiful soul whose warmth, strength, and kindness touched every life she encountered. She passed away peacefully on Wednesday August 6, 2025 in her hometown of Tucson Arizona surrounded by family, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion.

On June 10, 1961, Rafaela married the love of her life after meeting him at a dance, a storybook beginning to a beautiful partnership that lasted 55 years until his passing. Their marriage was a true testament to love, faith, and dedication, and together they built a home filled with joy, family, and lasting memories.

Rafaela was a proud and dedicated employee of Motorola for 30 years, where her work ethic and gentle spirit made her not just a respected colleague, but a cherished friend to many. After retirement, she filled her days with the things she loved most, traveling, nurturing her beautiful oasis of plants, cheering on her beloved Arizona Diamondbacks, and above all, spending precious time with her family.

A woman of deep faith, Rafaela was a devoted member of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Parish. She found joy and purpose in her Bible studies and was passionate about giving back to her community through acts of kindness and service. Her faith was a powerful foundation that guided how she lived and loved.

Family was everything to Rafaela. Her role as a daughter, sister, wife, mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother was something she held dear and fulfilled with incredible grace. Her home was a place of warmth, welcoming and always filled with love, laughter, delicious food, and the joyful barks of her beloved dogs, who were never just pets but treasured members of the family.

Rafaela's life was one of quiet strength, deep love, unwavering faith, and heartfelt generosity. She will be profoundly missed by all who were lucky enough to know her, but her spirit lives on in every memory, every blooming flower, every baseball game, and every moment shared in the company of those she loved most. She is now reunited with loved ones who passed before her and will forever remain in our hearts.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Juanita V. Escalante and Miguel Escalante; her sisters, Rita Gastelo and Jessie Guzman; her brothers, Juan Escalante and Jose Escalante; and several cherished nieces and nephews.

She is lovingly survived by her brother, Miguel Escalante; sister, Maria Escalante; her children, Jose Verdugo, Patricia (Mark) Duran, and Ralph Verdugo; grandchildren, Richard Miller, Sophia Verdugo, and Crystal (Jesse) Figueroa; and great-grandchildren, JessyLyn Figueroa and Peytyn Figueroa.