Raul Rene Padilla

He is preceded in death by former wife Celia Martinez Padilla; his parents, Raymond Padilla and Becky Romo; and all of his siblings: Aida "Jeanie" Rodriguez, Raymond "Boogie" Padilla, Daniel Padilla Sr., and Vicky Padilla. He is survived by his girlfriend, Frances Becker; daughter Stephani Jean Padilla (CJ Trujillo), son Rene Paul Padilla and grandchildren Hannah Trujillo, Maddie Trujillo, Abby Stengel and Felix Brewton, as well as many extended family and friends.

An entrepreneur in life, he often juggled multiple jobs. He was a longtime waiter at Pietro’s Italian Restaurant, he owned Do-Right Waterproofing, Do-Star Inc., and an antique store. In his retirement he worked as a handyman in the Lakewood/Casa Linda area. He was a hardworking man until the day he passed, always ready to put his jack-of-all-trades knowledge to work helping the people he loved.

Rene was an amazing cook who loved to cook for people. He was never happier than when he was manning the stove or the grill, singing along to good music and serving what he cooked to an always-eager crowd. In his younger years he was an avid bowler, in later years an avid golfer. And he was a lover of all types of music, though Elvis held a special place in his heart. He will be remembered as a person who was always willing to help a neighbor and believed in helping those less fortunate than him. His last act of giving was in organ donation.

Elvis has left the building.