Raul Ortuno

1924 - 2016

Raul C. Ortuno was born on May 15, 1924, in Cochabamba, Bolivia, the son of Teofanes Ortuno and Andrea Carreno.

He studied to be a teacher in his country of Bolivia, but soon after finishing college, he was selected to play soccer for his country and was in the Bolivian Soccer team right up until the time he immigrated to the United States. Bolivia was due to play in the World Cup that year, but his affidavit came up for immigration and he sacrificed his dream to play soccer for his country, for what he knew would be a better life for his family.

He settled down in San Diego, California and had two children, Cathy and Deborah Ortuno with his first wife Lenora. When they separated he married Elena Diaz and had Raul Jr, Teofanes, and Sandra Ortuno. “Mamita Elena” passed away and he was a widow with three young children. He became very good friends with another Bolivian, Jorge Imana, also a widow with young children, which is how he met Myriam. Myriam came to the United States to help her brother, a recent widow, and this is how she met Raul Ortuno. They married in January 1968, and his wife of 48 years gained a husband and three children that day. They had David, Isabel and Susana Ortuno and both of them raised together their six children.

He is survived by his wife Myriam, 8 children and 14 grandchildren. Raul settled down in San Diego where he worked in retail produce and real estate. He traveled back in forth from San Diego to Guadalajara, Mexico in order to be able to provide for his large family. He continued to have the love of sports and was chairman of the Bolivian Association for many years, played and coached several nephews in the Bolivian soccer team in San Diego. As he became older, soccer was more difficult to play, he took on the love of tennis where he met many friends at Morley Field Racket and Tennis Club. He played their many weekends with his nephew Ramon, and they won San Diego County “Doubles” in the senior division on several tournaments.

Vigil services will be at Funeraria Del Angel Humphrey on Tuesday December 20, 2016 from 5 to 9 pm. Mass services at St. Michael’s Catholic Church on Wednesday December 21, 2016 at 11 am with internment following at Holy Cross Cemetery. His wife, his children, his grandchildren, and all his nieces and nephews that he always took in as his own, will sorely miss this amazing man. He will be missed so much, but he will be daily in our hearts until we meet again on that glorious Resurrection Day.