DR. RAUL EMILIO DE VELASCO's Obituary
Dr. Raúl E. de Velasco, a distinguished nephrologist, ethicist, educator, and beloved father, died, surrounded by family, on December 15, 2024, in Coral Gables, Florida. He was 83.
Born on June 20, 1941, in Havana, Cuba, Raúl was the son of Dr. Raúl V. de Velasco Guzmán, and Emilia Álvarez de Velasco. At 20, Raúl arrived in the United States to study medicine at the University of Miami. He earned his medical degree from the Miller School of Medicine and served as a medical officer with the Indian Division of the U.S. Public Health Service on the Zuni and Navajo reservations. Upon returning to Miami, he completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in nephrology at Jackson Memorial/Veterans Administration programs. He was board certified in internal medicine and nephrology and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.
Raúl practiced nephrology in Miami for over 40 years with great distinction. He served as Chief of Staff for American Hospital, President of the Florida Society of Nephrology, and Medical Director of the Kendall Dialysis Center. He established the comprehensive ethics service for Baptist Health South Florida, chairing its Bioethics Committee and expanding its ethics structure across all 11 Baptist hospitals. Before retirement, he was also an Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the Miller School, contributing to the ethics curriculum and mentoring countless medical students. He regularly participated in curricular and extra-curricular initiatives to humanize the formation of future physicians.
A lifelong student of philosophy, Raúl pursued graduate studies in the field and actively participated in the University of Miami’s Department of Philosophy. He was especially interested in empathy as the foundation of medical ethics and morality. His contributions to clinical ethics, particularly in end-of-life care and organ transplantation, were profound.
Raúl’s dedication extended beyond medicine. He was deeply committed to Cuba’s democracy movement and served as a founding member and president of the Cuban Committee for Democracy. He also guided the development of Plataforma de Filosofía, Ética y Bioética en Cuba, a resource documenting the history of philosophy in Cuba. Additionally, he previously served as a board member of the Greater Miami Chapter of the ACLU.
He loved food (especially sweets), time with his children and grandchildren, Cuban music, reading, debating, exercise (and encouraging others to embrace a healthy lifestyle), the beach, singing, dancing, and travel. He was a master of funny faces and a jokester to the very end. Even as his capacities declined, he never stopped being a doctor, inspiring his loving caregivers to pursue their dreams and further their education, embodying the compassion and wisdom that defined his life.
He is survived by his wife, Ana María Pozo; his seven children, Raúl (Teresa), Jorge, Carlos (Carmen), Gina, Tony (Nour), Joanna (James), and Valerie (Caryn); his sister, Rusela Orr; nine grandchildren; and three nieces.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières in his memory.
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