Rafael Alberto Arvelo Gonzalez
My dad, was a renaissance man: accomplished sailor, meteorologist, oceanographer, engineer, architect, marine biologist and more. Always questioning and looking for answers. A scientist at heart. Taught us to dig deeper. Figure it out. Don’t just take it at face value. The result: an inquisitive bunch of kids. This need for knowledge has even passed down to the grandchildren. He was also a great chess player.
There is so much to write about. I have put down a few of the major happenings. But there is so much. The later years of him trying to survive in a world that he didn’t understand nor had any use for. He was like Columbus trying to navigate in the 1970s. All he wanted to do was study earthquakes, predict hurricanes, build his boat, and write. And he did this every day. But, when he died, no one could find anything except the weekly fish articles he wrote for the newspaper. No one knows what happened to it all.
My father Rafael Alberto Arvelo Gonzalez “Bebeto”
Father: Wenceslao Arvelo Garcia
Mother: Manuela Gonzalez Rey
Born: August 22, 1916, San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
Died: Dec. 26, 1979, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Possibly from Guillain–Barré Syndrome.
Wife: Ysabel Maria Irene Dalmau Pichardo
Papi 1917 b 1916
Papi in Cuba 1932
Papi June 20 1936
Papi 1936
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Papi Agosto 1938
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Papi 1939 Boca chica
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Papi Segundo Teniente 1943
Papi 1943
Papi Full Regalia
Papi 1943
Papi Frigate Captain 1948
Papi and DeWindt in London 1947
Papi and DeWindt in London 1947
Papi Paris 1947
Papi’s ship 700th anniversary Seville 1948
Mom & Dad Civil Wedding 1948
Papi Capitan de Corveta 1953
Papi in the Azores 1948
Papi 1948
Papi and Balaguer in El Salvador 1949
Balaguer in El Salvador 1949
Papi in Copacabana Brazil 1949
Papi in Copacabana Brazil 1949
Papi in Copacabana Brazil 1949
Papi bajando barco
Papi in Rio de Janeiro 1949
Papi in Miami getting training for ship 1949
Papi in the North Atlantic 1949
Papi Christmas at Navy 1950
Dad and Cesar naval base meeting 1950
Negro Trujillo, Papi & Mom at Cesar DeWindt and Ana Vidal, Wedding 1950
Papi Delegación Dominicana a Mexico 1952
Fragata Juan Pablo Duarte that my dad took all over the world 1973
Papi y Delegación a Mexico 1952
Papi y DeWindt Lavandier 1950
Papi Mami in Iglesia Santa Barbara 1950
Papi, Padre Pin and Miguel Padilla 1950
Papi 1950
Papi en Celebración a Mexico 1952
Papi 1952
Papi in the Azores 1953
Papi en 1953
Papi Capitan de Corveta 1953
Papi in the Moineau 1958
Dad at Queen Elizabeth’s Crowning, South Hampton 1953
The Moineau 1955
Papi and Moineau SD 1957
Papi Canes 1957
Papi in the Moineau Cannes 1958
Papi and Alex Vadas Moineau Yacht 1958
Papa Fello and Dad in Canes
Papi in Nice 1958
Papi in the Moineau SD 1958
Papi port office 1956
Papi in the Moineau Cannes 1958
Papi and Read Vittini San Juan, PR 1961
Bombing Plane San Juan PR 1961
Papi and Mom Christmas Eve 1962
Papi and Mom Christmas Eve 1962
Papi just out of jail 1955
Papi port office 1956
Papi & Robert King High Miami 1963
Papi and the Babum, Miami 1964
Papi, Elenita Santos, Marinita Arvelo at the consulate MIami 1964
Dominican Consulate, Miami 1964
Papi with Malagyer Retired Commodore 1973
Papi with Malagyer Retired Commodore 1973
Dad with tFishing guys 1972
Papi 1972
Papi 1971
Papi Miami 1964
Mom and Dad 1976
Dad Pico and Titiro’s Wedding 1977
Papi 1969
Papi 1979
Papi Retirement
Papi Academia Naval SD 1979
Tio Laito, mom, tio Marino Dad’s mass 1979
Laito, Mami, Marino Papi burial mass 1979
Dad’s Burial after the navy took it over 1979
Dad’s Burial Pico and Ivan, Alex holding coffin 1979
