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Obituary for Raul A. Rovira Burset
Raul A. Rovira Burset, age 68 of Bristow, VA, died on August 10, 2018 while at the Adler Center in Aldie, Virginia.
Raul is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn Santerre; his children, Karola (Luis) Longo, Raul (Regina Kovacs) Rovira, and Arturo (Melissa Benjamin) Rovira; his grandchildren, Luis E., Liliana, Raulka, Chase, and Makayla; his siblings Jose, Carlos, Hector, Tere, Blanqui, and Luis M.; and many nieces, nephews, and friends in Bristow, VA and Guayama, PR. He is preceded in death by his parents, Eduardo Rovira and Blanca Burset, of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Raul was born on July 11, 1950 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico. He graduated in 1970 from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, with a degree in Social Studies and a minor in Economics. He worked at El Mundo newspaper in Puerto Rico while pursuing his law degree. In 1974 he graduated from the Interamerican University Law School in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico with a Juris Doctor. He was admitted into the Puerto Rico Bar Association in 1975 until his retirement in 2015. He was also a member of the Association of Notary Public and Association of Trial Lawyers of America. In 1977, he opened his law practice in Guayama, Puerto Rico, where he practiced law until 2013. His practice included criminal and civil litigation in both state and federal court. He also worked Pro-Bono cases assigned by the courts. His focus for the last 16 years of his practice shifted to work for the Mortgage Department of Oriental Group in their Guayama, Cayey, Las Piedras, San Lorenzo, and Caguas branches. As his health declined, he closed his office and moved to Virginia to be close to his children and grandchildren.
Raul was a devoted husband and a loving father. He married his sweetheart, Gwendolyn, in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico on May 15, 1971. This past May, they celebrated 47 years of marriage. They had 3 children. While his children were still young, he enjoyed taking them to the Bajo de Patillas in Puerto Rico to enjoy the beach as often as he could. These usually became family events in which there would be anywhere from 15 to 30 relatives at any given time enjoying a barbeque, a little surfing or body boards, or a two-seater sailboat around the coastline. The first thing he would always do was rake the sand to make sure that there were no cans or broken glass. He would not enjoy the beach until this task was finished. He also provided support to the local Boy Scouts of America, Troop 107. He was part of the initial group of parents that decided to bring a troop back to Guayama to guide boys in the community to become better citizens and respect one another. Scouting became a way of life for his sons, who made it all the way to Eagle Scouts, an accomplishment that he was always proud of. Another proud moment was having all three of his children attend college, graduate, and become productive members of the community. As his children married and he became a grandfather, he found a new calling, becoming grampa extraordinaire. He took every opportunity to spend it with his grandchildren by playing, telling stories or singing to them his favorite ballad “En Mi Viejo San Juan.”
He always managed to make friends everywhere he went. It did not matter if there was a language barrier, he would learn your name, your family, your job, and what made you happy. He would then call you a friend. This was a running joke in the family because we knew that he would never be bored or feel uncomfortable. Whether at the supermarket or in another country, he would walk out of any situation with new friendships. For the last year of his life, he made new friends at the Manassas Senior Center. He became a lifeline to those that only spoke Spanish and needed help to communicate with the center. He was also a gentleman by giving up his seat to any lady, or girls as he referred to them, that needed it even though he had physical difficulties in moving around. He enjoyed this time as we lovingly referred to as Kindergarten.
The family will receive visitors on Friday, August 17, 2018, from 2:00 – 400 p.m. at Baker-Post Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 10001 Nokesville Road, Manassas, Virginia. A memorial service will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Raul’s life.
In lieu of flowers, family requests a donation be made to Prince William Area Agency on Aging for the Manassas Senior Center at 9320 Mosby St in Manassas, VA 20110.
Please sign the guestbook at www.bakerpostfh.com
Raul is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn Santerre; his children, Karola (Luis) Longo, Raul (Regina Kovacs) Rovira, and Arturo (Melissa Benjamin) Rovira; his grandchildren, Luis E., Liliana, Raulka, Chase, and Makayla; his siblings Jose, Carlos, Hector, Tere, Blanqui, and Luis M.; and many nieces, nephews, and friends in Bristow, VA and Guayama, PR. He is preceded in death by his parents, Eduardo Rovira and Blanca Burset, of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Raul was born on July 11, 1950 in Arroyo, Puerto Rico. He graduated in 1970 from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus, with a degree in Social Studies and a minor in Economics. He worked at El Mundo newspaper in Puerto Rico while pursuing his law degree. In 1974 he graduated from the Interamerican University Law School in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico with a Juris Doctor. He was admitted into the Puerto Rico Bar Association in 1975 until his retirement in 2015. He was also a member of the Association of Notary Public and Association of Trial Lawyers of America. In 1977, he opened his law practice in Guayama, Puerto Rico, where he practiced law until 2013. His practice included criminal and civil litigation in both state and federal court. He also worked Pro-Bono cases assigned by the courts. His focus for the last 16 years of his practice shifted to work for the Mortgage Department of Oriental Group in their Guayama, Cayey, Las Piedras, San Lorenzo, and Caguas branches. As his health declined, he closed his office and moved to Virginia to be close to his children and grandchildren.
Raul was a devoted husband and a loving father. He married his sweetheart, Gwendolyn, in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico on May 15, 1971. This past May, they celebrated 47 years of marriage. They had 3 children. While his children were still young, he enjoyed taking them to the Bajo de Patillas in Puerto Rico to enjoy the beach as often as he could. These usually became family events in which there would be anywhere from 15 to 30 relatives at any given time enjoying a barbeque, a little surfing or body boards, or a two-seater sailboat around the coastline. The first thing he would always do was rake the sand to make sure that there were no cans or broken glass. He would not enjoy the beach until this task was finished. He also provided support to the local Boy Scouts of America, Troop 107. He was part of the initial group of parents that decided to bring a troop back to Guayama to guide boys in the community to become better citizens and respect one another. Scouting became a way of life for his sons, who made it all the way to Eagle Scouts, an accomplishment that he was always proud of. Another proud moment was having all three of his children attend college, graduate, and become productive members of the community. As his children married and he became a grandfather, he found a new calling, becoming grampa extraordinaire. He took every opportunity to spend it with his grandchildren by playing, telling stories or singing to them his favorite ballad “En Mi Viejo San Juan.”
He always managed to make friends everywhere he went. It did not matter if there was a language barrier, he would learn your name, your family, your job, and what made you happy. He would then call you a friend. This was a running joke in the family because we knew that he would never be bored or feel uncomfortable. Whether at the supermarket or in another country, he would walk out of any situation with new friendships. For the last year of his life, he made new friends at the Manassas Senior Center. He became a lifeline to those that only spoke Spanish and needed help to communicate with the center. He was also a gentleman by giving up his seat to any lady, or girls as he referred to them, that needed it even though he had physical difficulties in moving around. He enjoyed this time as we lovingly referred to as Kindergarten.
The family will receive visitors on Friday, August 17, 2018, from 2:00 – 400 p.m. at Baker-Post Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 10001 Nokesville Road, Manassas, Virginia. A memorial service will begin at 4:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Raul’s life.
In lieu of flowers, family requests a donation be made to Prince William Area Agency on Aging for the Manassas Senior Center at 9320 Mosby St in Manassas, VA 20110.
Please sign the guestbook at www.bakerpostfh.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Raul A. Rovira Burset, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.
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