Rafael Morales, age 79 years, of Raritan Township, NJ, died peacefully on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at Hunterdon Care Center, Raritan Township, NJ.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico on August 24, 1943, son of the late Manuel Morales Rodriguez and Maria Eugenia Sierra Marquez, Rafael moved to New York City, NY, at the age of five, and had lived in Landing, NJ, Riverdale, NJ, Palm Bay, FL, and Melbourne, FL, prior to moving back to New Jersey to be near his daughter several years ago.

A proud Eagle Scout, Rafael was a hard worker whose determination and compassion was at the foundation of all he did as he traveled the path of life. For many years he worked as a Safety Manager at Home Depot, and his dedication to safety surely stemmed from all the lessons he learned during his years scouting.

With an eye for fashion, Rafael was always dressed impeccably, and family and friends joked it was designed to match his charming persona. He was a legend on the dance floor, with his Salsa moves being instantly recognizable wherever he went. Dancing was more than just a hobby; it was a passion for Rafael and allowed him to express what was deep in his soul.

In addition to dancing, he was extremely handy and truly a “jack of all trades”. His cooking was as legendary as his dance moves, and he greatly enjoyed hosting parties for family and friends. Watching horses, simply for their beauty, playing dominos, working on jigsaw puzzles, and cheering for the New York Mets, the Miami Dolphins, and the New York Knicks were also favorite pastimes.

Devoted to his family, his children were his world and he was so proud of his, “favorite daughter”, Lisa, and his son, Ralph, lovingly called “Macho”.

Simply put, Rafael was a good guy who never met a person who did not become an instant friend. His smile was contagious, and the world is brighter because his light will forever shine through the hearts of all who knew his warmth.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Eric Morales Sierra.

Surviving are his daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Michael Korzeniowski; his son, Ralph Anthony Morales; his grandchildren, Kyra, Lorraine, Devon, and Gwendolyn; several extended family members; and many dear friends.

Family and friends are invited to gather on Sunday, February 26, 2023, from 1:00-1:45 p.m., in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

A life celebration service will follow the gathering beginning at 1:45 p.m. and to which all are welcome.

Realizing that some may be unable to attend, the life celebration service will be live-streamed, with the stream being active starting at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday. To watch, please go back to Rafael’s main obituary page and click the PLAY button where you see the picture under Service, or, click HERE and kindly ensure you do not have a pop-up blocker enabled (if you are having issues with clicking above, please follow this link: https://vimeo.com/event/2893650). 

Interment will be private.

You are encouraged to visit Rafael’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

Memorial contributions in his honor may be made to Camp Caribe, by clicking HERE, or to the Hurricane Fiona relief Fund via All Hands and Hearts, by clicking HERE.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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