Rafael Romero

Rafael Romero, 81, passed away peacefully and surrounded by love and his family on October 13, 2022 in Sterling, Virginia. Prior to his journey into Heaven, Rafael received the Catholic sacraments of the Anointing of the Sick and the Last Rites from Father Mark E. Moretti of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church. Rafael was born on August 16, 1941 in San Vicente, El Salvador to Rafael Romero Cobar and Etelvina Rodriquez. He married the love of his life Liliana Quintanilla on June 4, 1967 in Washington, D.C. They had three children and moved to Sterling, Virginia in 1976 where they raised their family. Rafael’s memory and legacy will be carried on by his wife Liliana; his children Elena (Romero) Daly, Rafael Romero, Jr., and Gigi (Romero) Grimm; his sons-in-law John Daly and Daniel Grimm; his daughter-in-law Jessica (Delaney) Romero; and his five cherished granddaughters Sophia Daly, Alexa Romero, Ava Daly, Madelyn Grimm, and Amelia Grimm. During his youth in the 1950s, Rafael became an avid fan of rock and roll, particularly Bill Haley & His Comets, Chuck Berry, and Elvis Presley. He absolutely loved dancing rock and roll which he continued to present day. He was also an avid athlete having played several sports, but his passion was soccer and he played professionally with his university in El Salvador. Rafael attended the University of El Salvador and Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico. He immigrated to the United States to finish his studies at Howard University in Washington D.C. where he earned a degree in Architecture. He designed various commercial buildings including hospitals, restaurants, and a Veterans Affair facility. During this time as an architect for Marriott Corporation in Bethesda, Maryland, he designed several of their hotels nationwide. Additionally, he did design work at The Watergate and the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington, D.C., and designed two buildings in his town of Sterling, Virginia -- the United States Post Office at 150 South Sterling Blvd and the Clock Tower Center at 46900 Community Plaza. Rafael successfully started his own architectural firm Design & Construction Associates, and eventually retired to University Park (Bradenton), Florida with his wife. Rafael could be found every morning at the kitchen table, reading The Washington Post and Sarasota Herald-Tribune, then taking his afternoon walk. He enjoyed reading and was incredibly intelligent and well versed on world events, history, geography, religion, and politics. He had a kind heart, enjoyed his red wine, and loved the Washington Redskins. He also loved the United States and the opportunities afforded to him and became a proud U.S. Citizen. A private family service will be held as he is placed to rest at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Herndon, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Rafael Romero to Capital Caring at www.capitalcaring.org.