Rafael A.
Zaragoza, MD, 92
1929- 2021
WYOMING, Del. - Rafael (Ralph) Acosta Zaragoza, MD passed away peacefully on Friday, December 17, 2021 at his home in Wyoming, with his wife Claire at his side.
Ralph was born to Aureo and Catalina Zaragoza on December 7, 1929 in Natividad, Pangasinan in the Philippines. He completed both his undergraduate education and medical school at the University of Santo Tomas, in Manila, Philippines, earning his medical degree in 1954. Upon graduation, he immigrated to the United States, arriving in St. Louis, Mo., where he finished a rotating internship at Lutheran Hospital. He then completed a year of residency in medicine and a year of surgical residency at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio. Ralph went on to serve as a Urology resident at Bellevue Hospital in New York City and Jersey City Medical Center until 1960. It was during this time, he met Claire, his wife of 60 years, while she was working as an OR nurse in Jersey City. After completing his medical training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York as a fellow in Urologic Oncology in 1961, he served for two years in the United States Army as a Major in the medical corps.
Ralph and Claire then moved to Dover, Delaware, where they settled and raised their family together. Ralph opened a private practice in urology in Dover in 1964, founding what is now Urology Associates of Delaware. He was later joined by Venerando Maximo, MD in 1969, and then Jason Walther, MD in 1987. His son, Michael Zaragoza, MD joined the partnership in 1993 and practiced with his father for nine years. Upon retirement, Ralph continued practicing urology on a part-time basis in Lewes, Delaware with Dr. Hosmane, until age 84.
Ralph was the first urologist in downstate Delaware and covered multiple hospitals throughout his career, including Bayhealth Kent General and Milford hospitals, the former Dover Air Force Base hospital, Beebe hospital, and Nanticoke hospital. He was active in countless medical and community organizations and served as president of the Kent General medical staff. Ralph went on to serve as president of the Medical Society of Delaware, the first Filipino to do so. He was also on the Delaware Board of Medical Practice and eventually elected to the Board of Governors for the American College of Surgeons. In 2010, he was founding president of the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition.
Ralph was especially committed to community service, founding VASAP (Volunteer Ambulatory Surgical Access Program) in 1995 to provide free surgery to the underinsured in Kent County. He also helped form the Hope Clinic in Dover and served as a director and president. For over 50 years, he was involved with the Dover Rotary Club and was elected its President in 2002. Under his leadership, the Dover Rotary helped sponsor annual medical missions to the Philippines, which Ralph organized and continued as "Operation We Care." For more than 20 years, this mission provided surgical care to the underserved population in his home country. This was also a family affair, with Claire and children Michael and Sandy joining and assisting on the missions. In 2016, Ralph received the Jack B. McConnell, MD Award for Excellence in Volunteerism from the American Medical Association. A strong advocate for higher education, he was also a long-term member of the Board of Trustees for Wesley College.
Ralph enjoyed piano, tennis, skiing, and golf, and family ski trips were many and memorable. He also maintained a keen interest in politics, leading to a campaign for state representative in Delaware. Ralph was known for his humor, and engaged others with his jokes and quick wit. He also loved to dance and was an enthusiastic participant in the inaugural "Dancing with the Delaware Stars."
Ralph was preceded in death by his eldest son, Rafael (Chito) Zaragoza, Jr.; and his seven older siblings, Joven, Wilfredo, Aureo, Jr., Benny, Nora, Petty, and Nelly. He is survived by Claire, his wife of 60 years; and four children: son, Michael Zaragoza and wife Sandy; daughter, Sandy Zaragoza and wife Meave O'Marah; daughter, Nancy Zaragoza; and son, Robert Zalewski-Zaragoza and wife Barbara. He also leaves behind nine grandchildren: Brian (wife Dylan) and Justin Zaragoza, Eva and Genevieve O'Marah, Alex and Catalina Fogg, and Nadia, Sofia and Naomi Zaragoza; as well as several nieces and nephews.
The family would like to acknowledge and give a special thank you to his caregivers, Angie, Elizabeth and Bettie, and the Delaware Hospice, and also to Joyce Darling, Ralph's life long office manager.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday, December 29, 2021 from 2-4 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. at Torbert funeral home. A funeral mass will take place at Holy Cross Church on December 30, 2021 at 10 a.m.
Donations of remembrance may be made online to the Delaware Prostate Cancer Coalition at deprostatecancercoalition.org.
Letters of condolence may be sent, guestbook may be signed, and service live streamed at www.torbertfuneral.com