About Rafael Palacios
Rafael Palacios was born in 1959 in Tijuana, Mexico. The 4th-oldest child from a family of 14 siblings, Rafael immigrated to Oakland, California at 2 years old with his family. From an early age, Rafael learned about construction from his father, who worked as a laborer to support his large family. He joined the Local 261 Laborers’ Union in 1980, spending over 30 years with the union before turning his passion into teaching at CityBuild Academy in 2011.
Rafael spent ten years as an instructor teaching at CityBuild Academy. He fused his two passions of teaching and construction into a program that supported training San Francisco residents in construction trades. Rafael’s 30+ years of construction experience brought an invaluable perspective and a variety of collaboration opportunities to the program.
Rafael lived by a strong set of values, but his #1 rule was to always work your hardest. In September of 2018, he was diagnosed with stage four stomach cancer. Cancer did not stop him from teaching, as he often went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and returned to work the next day with a smile on his face. He would still continue his weekly early Saturday morning runs around Lake Merritt and do his infamous inclined clapping push-ups. Rafael held on to the values he cherished most to help him with his battle with cancer, remaining positive and faith-focused throughout his battle. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with cancer in September of 2019. Rafael lives on through his family, his friends, and the thousands of students whose lives he has changed through his work.
Who was Rafael Palacios?
Rafael cared about many things in life and had many passions. He loved to play drums, serve his community, and teach his CityBuild students. Learn more about Rafael as told by his wife and children.