Rafaela "Fae" Durand Powell

Rafaela Durand Powell (Fae), age 93, passed away peacefully on Friday, July 26, 2024. She was the eldest of four children of Frank and Carolina Durand, who immigrated to the United States from Italy and settled in West Tampa. Born in Tampa on September 28, 1930, she was a graduate of Jefferson High School and Tampa Business College. After college she worked as a bookkeeper for the Tampa Soap Company. She was married on September 8, 1956 and she and her husband Orrin enjoyed 48 years of marriage together until his death in 2004. Fae and Orrin were the beloved longtime owners and operators of the Tiny Tap Tavern, a cherished community establishment and perennial winner of Tampa Magazine's Best Dive Bar. She was a devoted and loving wife and mother who was active in her children's activities. She developed a love for baseball attending her sons’ baseball games and enjoyed watching her hometown Tampa Bay Rays. Fae and Orrin loved to fish and enjoyed fishing the waters of Tampa Bay and spending summers with their family and friends snook fishing on Captiva Island, Florida.

A lifelong resident of Tampa, Fae is preceded in death by her husband Orrin "Big O" Powell. She is survived by her devoted children Casey (wife Michele), S. Orrin III, and Wesley (wife Lisa), and treasured grandchildren Clayton, Kelsey, and Stephen Powell. She also leaves behind her loving sisters, Rose Glatkowski and Nila Leto (husband Sam), and brother George Durand (wife Anita), as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation will be held on Monday, August 12, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, with a Funeral Mass at 2:00 PM at Christ the King Catholic Church, 821 S. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL. A reception will follow the Mass, where friends and family can gather to celebrate Fae's life and legacy. Fae will be laid to rest at Bay Pines National Cemetery in St. Petersburg, FL alongside her husband, Orrin on August 16, 2024 at 12:30 PM.