FERNANDEZ, Raul Escobar - (October 10, 1953 – January 4, 2021)
Writer, artist, photographer, philosopher, and nature lover, Raul embraced life and all it had to offer with unbridled enthusiasm.
Born in the central Mexican town of Celaya, Raul spent his formative years in Chihuahua, Mexico close to the U.S. border before moving as a teenager to Mexico City. He immigrated to Canada in 2002 and became a proud Canadian citizen in 2013.
He is survived by his wife Monica Gutschi and his daughters Sofia and Alicia Escobar, all of Toronto; daughter Ofelia Escobar Lezama and partner Sergio Olvera Flores; son Ricardo Escobar Lezama and partner Angelica Mijangos; his mother Bertha Mercedes Fernandez Perez, sisters Laura and Sylvia (Ramon Orozco), brother Roberto (Georgina Puig-Amarillas); grandchildren Hector Alejandro and Camila Isabel, all of Mexico; plus a huge extended family throughout Mexico, Canada, the U.S. and Europe.
He is predeceased by his father Raul Escobar Aguayo and his sister Bertha Escobar Fernandez.
As comfortable in the opera house as at the soccer stadium, Raul was an autodidact who enjoyed discussing politics, literature, art theory, music, sports, and comparative religions, just to name a few of his interests. He found beauty in the smallest details, and often took a photographic record.
He straddled both the Mexican and Canadian cultures with ease: introducing Canadians to his famous huevos rancheros and serenading the neighborhood, or taking Mexican visitors to Niagara Falls, the Bruce Peninsula and other sights. Among his favourite activities was attending the English Conversation Circle created by his ESL teacher as he enjoyed meeting people from all the world’s cultures around the table at Occasions restaurant.
Raul studied economics at Mexico’s National Autonomous University, but had an eclectic career that included stints as a loans officer for a government financing agency, an analyst for the government security agency, and as head of the taxi licensing department for Mexico City. In Canada his lack of English skills limited his possibilities, and he laboured in various industries: packaging, cement, and food production. He made friends everywhere.
Raul fue un rebelde genuino, un ente libre, comunista por convicción, amante de la fotografía, la música, el cine, pero sobre todo la lectura. Le gustaba conocer gente de cualquier lugar y se adaptaba para platicar con cualquier persona.
Vivió orgulloso de sus cuatro hijos y finalmente de sus dos nietos. Su sabiduría y enseñanzas quedarán guardados en sus corazones.
Private Funeral Service will be livestreamed from the website of Giffen-Mack funeral home, Danforth chapel, Toronto on January 15th at 3:00 p.m.
Memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Canadian Mental Health Association or any group that supports the Grey Wolf, such as the International Wolf Centre.
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