On Wednesday, January 18, 2023, Raquel Maria Boluda of Leisure World, Maryland passed away peacefully in her home. Raquel was born in Pinar Del Rio, Cuba to Jose Boluda and Delia Garcia on December 29, 1933. On February 16, 1957, Raquel married the love of her life, Manuel Boluda; and they went on to have three children together. Raquel worked as a pharmacist at El Sagrado Corazon Hospital in Havana, Cuba until she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1966. The Boluda family first lived in Riverdale, then Hyattsville, Maryland before settling in Hillandale. Initially, Raquel worked as an operator at Hecht Co., before attending Howard University in order to meet her credentials as a pharmacist in the United States. While working on her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree, she worked as a pharmacy technician at Peoples Drug Store. Upon completing her degree, she worked as a pharmacist at Peoples Drug Store, before ultimately becoming a pharmacist at Prince George’s Hospital, then retiring at the age of 62.
Raquel always kept herself busy, even in retirement. She was blessed with four grandchildren who she helped care for, spent every tax season assisting Manuel with the family tax business, and still found time for her hobbies like gardening, sewing, and traveling. Raquel and Manuel grew an impressive garden outside of their Hillandale home, complete with lettuce, tomato plants, fig trees, and more. With her love for sewing, she was always there to fix a hole in a shirt or hem a pair of pants for anyone in the family. When she wasn’t busy with taxes, gardening, and fixing her family’s clothing, Raquel and Manuel enjoyed traveling. They would often travel to Florida to visit their daughter, two grandchildren, and various friends. Every summer included a family trip to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where Raquel and Manuel would spend one week in a beach front condo with all of their grandchildren and whichever of their adult children were able to attend each year. Outside of the United States, they enjoyed many trips to Spain to visit siblings, cousins, and more. All while enjoying their various activities together, Raquel and Manuel also dedicated many years of service to St. Camillus Catholic Church in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Later in life, Raquel was blessed with five great-grandchildren. As always, this was another role that she took on in life and excelled at. She spent time traveling to both Florida and Pennsylvania to assist in caring for her various great-grandchildren. Raquel wore many hats throughout her 89 years of life, and always put all of her effort into each task she took on. Above all, family was the most important thing to Raquel, and she was always there to celebrate their major accomplishments and support them in any way she could. In the last years of her life, Raquel was under the constant loving care of Sosseh and Elizabeth, in addition to various family members.
Raquel is preceded in death by her husband, Manuel Boluda; her grandson, Vincent Fontana; and her brother, Miguel (Gladys) Boluda Sr. She is survived by her children, Manuel (Karla) Boluda, Raquel (Ricci) Fontana, and Rafael Boluda; her grandchildren, Jose, Ricci (Laura), and Maria (Morgan); and great-grandchildren, Ricci, Ericc, Noah, Kenley, and Amelia. She is also survived by various other family members including nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Family and friends may call at the HINES-RINALDI FUNERAL HOME, 11800 New Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD on Monday January 30th from 4 to 8 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St. Camillus Catholic Church, 1600 St. Camillus Dr., Silver Spring, MD on Tuesday, January 31st at 10 a.m. Entombment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. The family requests memorial contributions to St. Camillus Church.
