Rafael A. Duarte Aquino

Rafael “Rafa” Antonio Duarte Aquino, 69, of Hammond, Indiana, lost his battle with cancer, surrounded by his beloved family, on March 9, 2025. He was born to humble parents—Ricardo Antonio Duarte, a driver, and María Inés Aquino, a housekeeper—in Ahuachapán, El Salvador, on June 12, 1955.

Rafa is survived by his wife, Blanca Rosa Andrade de Duarte; his son, Rafael Alejandro; his daughter, Laura Lisseth; and his niece, Jacqueline. He was the third of ten siblings and was preceded in death by his father and his sister, María Dolores Aquino. He is survived by his mother; his brothers, Luis, José Roberto, Ricardo, Manuel Enrique, and Orson; and his sisters, Mercedes, Nora, and Sonia.

A devoted Christian, Rafa was committed to embodying love for his neighbor and deepening his personal relationship with God. He became a born-again Christian at the age of 25, preaching the word of God in the streets during his native country’s civil war. It was at Misión Elim, his church, that he met his sweetheart, Blanca, whom he married on July 30, 1988.

During his first years of marriage, he put himself through college, becoming a public accountant, the first in his family to graduate with a college degree. In 1998, he and his wife emigrated to the United States to give their children a better life. Working a variety of jobs, they were able to save up enough to buy a house within five years of arriving.

He worked at IFI, later DI, in Hammond, for 25 years, fulfilling commercial insulation orders, working tirelessly to provide for his family. At work, he was respected for his diligence and integrity, receiving awards. He and his wife helped provide for both of his children’s college educations, continuing to work after retirement to support family projects.

He spent countless evenings closely reading the Bible, keeping up on world events, and loved discussing both with anyone who lent an ear. He often came to the support of family and friends who needed a hand or an advocate. He took meticulous care of his home and was famous for his green thumb throughout his life, keeping lush plants both inside and outside. He remained deeply connected to his wife and children, filling their family home with warmth and laughter during countless cherished nights together and maintained high spirits through much of his fight with cancer.

Above all, he believed in the power of God’s grace to redeem the world and in following the example of the Lord Jesus Christ.

His family finds solace in knowing that he is now at peace, resting in the presence of the God he so faithfully served. While he is no longer physically with us, his love is a guiding light in the lives of all who were blessed to call him husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend.

"Y nosotros hemos conocido y creído el amor que Dios tiene para con nosotros. Dios es amor; y el que permanece en amor, permanece en Dios, y Dios en él."

1 Juan 4:16