Obituary of Raquel Salinas

Raquel Salinas, 48, passed away due to complications of surgery on April 23, 2018, in Olympia, Washington. She was born August 14, 1969, to Jose and Ester Salinas in Edenburg, Texas. In 1987, Raquel graduated from Kent Meridian High School in Kent, Washington, and earned a BA in 1991 from The Evergreen State College, followed by a Master’s Degree in Teaching in 1994. She married Jeff Freels on October 31, 1995 in Tumwater, Washington. Raquel was gentle and continually worked to help others find their personal power. She had an infectiously joyful spirit and powerful grace. She worked as a counselor and coordinator of First Peoples’ Advising Services at The Evergreen State College in Olympia. She enjoyed being involved in social justice work, singing, painting, drawing, beading, cooking, dancing, and rescuing/ revitalizing dolls. She is survived by her husband, Jeff Freels; mother, Ester Salinas; brothers, Roberto, Fabian and Raul Salinas; and sister, Elvira Salinas. She was predeceased by her father, Jose Salinas. THOUGHTS FROM JEFF: “Things are difficult now as we feel the loss of our Champion. Raquel was always a shining example of the principles she believed in. Always warm, patient, insightful, clever with a sense of delightful silliness, and strong, she inspired others and helped us find our own strength and power to know that we can make differences for the betterment of our world. She never faltered. Always thinking of others, Raquel took great efforts to conceal her own chronic pain, believing it would be distracting to those she worked to help with their own issues. She was selfless, she was True, she was there for all of us always and in all ways. I take comfort in hearing that those who knew Raquel are coming together to share memories of her, and to honor her spirit. Our Raquel was Love; she loved us all and inspired and nurtured love wherever she was. Love grows and brightens the darkness. As Raquel spread her light, others found their own light and added to the brilliance. I want to offer my sincerest thanks to those of you who gave your Love and Friendship to Raquel, making her life’s struggles a bit lighter. There are no ‘right words’ for this kind of thing. We can only take our faltering and lacking words and share them, for it is by doing this that the truth and love behind the words can be felt and heal and carry us forward to make our world a better place. Thank you, Raquel, you will be with us always.” Please leave memories of Raquel or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.