Rafael Angel Martinez

Rafael Angel Martínez, born January 23, 1965 in the Bronx, New York, passed away on May 29, 2025 at 7:21pm in Christ Hospital after a long and courageous battle with Stage 4 colon cancer. He was 60 years old.

He is survived by his wife and soulmate, Maritza, his children Raymond and Elizabeth, and his brothers Richard and Brandon. He is now reunited with his parents, Irma Idalia Sánchez and Tony Martínez, and his aunts and uncles who guided him to God's grace to watch over us until we meet again.

Rafael Angel was a proud Puerto Rican with deep roots in Guayama. Raised in the Queens, NY, he grew up in a time when love was food and survival meant showing up every single day. And he did, for his family, his faith, and the life he built.

He met his soulmate Maritza, who later became his wife and the mother of his children. They called each other Taz and Thumper. He was Thumper because he was sweet, gentle, and full of love. Their connection was instant and lasted a lifetime.

Rafael was a 9/11 survivor who pulled his wife to safety when the towers fell. He survived COVID, too. His life was full of trials that would have broken others, but he moved through them with calm strength and quiet courage.

My Dad was a tech nerd in the best way. He collected cameras like they were gold, kept up with every new gadget. He is sharp, geeky, and full of quiet charm. His mustache naturally grew in the shape of the Batman signal, something everyone remembered. He enjoyed comic books, and freestyle music from the 80s and 90s.  He could talk for hours about computers, history, comedy, God or a great joke, and always left you thinking or smiling.

He never touched drugs. He barely drank. But he loved good food, Puerto Rican, Chinese, and Indian were his favorites especially seafood. He stayed true to who he was every single day.

He fought hard. He wanted to live. Even when cancer wore down his body, it never touched his spirit. He kept working. He kept loving. He was the patriarch of our family.

Now he rests in God’s care, surrounded by the love that shaped him and the family who came before him. He gave us love without noise, loyalty without limits, and a presence that will never be replaced.

He will always be ours.

Visitation is Wednesday, June 04, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Riotto Funeral Home & Cremation Company, 3205 Kennedy Blvd. Jersey City, NJ.  (For GPS navigation, it is best to use our parking lot address: 14 Stagg Street).  Funeral is Thursday, June 05, 2025 from 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM at the funeral home Entombment will follow at Hollywood Memorial Park & Cemetery, Union, New Jersey.