It is with great sadness that we announce Raquel Marquez, age 32, passed away peacefully on July 15, 2026 after a long battle with brain cancer.
Raquel was born on December 17, 1993 in Fort Morgan, Colorado. She briefly attended preschool in Wiggins before continuing her K-12 education back at Fort Morgan. The quick transition to the next town over was difficult, because she was very shy while attending school, that may seem ironic if you were her family or someone who knew her as the social butterfly she eventually became to be. Her mother, Maria, almost had to quit her job because Raquel would come home from school with tears in her eyes and running down her cheeks every day. She would ask, “Why can’t my Grandma just take care of me everyday?”, to which Maria would respond, “Well, we’re going to take you somewhere else to make some friends”. She would always respond with a hopeful, yet teary, “Ok”.
Throughout high school, Raquel tried to be involved in as many activities or clubs as she could. She graduated as an honor roll student who was a member of the Rotary Club, National Honor Society, drama club, Mustang Buddies, G.A.L.S, Morgan High Singers, a Girls State Delegate, and a Morgan Community College student ambassador. Raquel also had an interest in true crime documentaries and endless criminal tv shows: specifically N.C.I.S., Criminal Minds, Law and Order: SVU, and True Crimes. Because of these interests, which some may call obsessions, Raquel felt called to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Raquel’s achievements did not come without challenges. In March 2014, she had a tumor removed for the second time. She specifically told the doctors she wanted to wait until she was on spring break to have it removed, this was due to her dedication to her degree and not wanting to miss any more school than she absolutely had to. When she returned from spring break, her professor had asked what everyone had done over their break and was stunned to find out she had spent what little of a break she had to have something so major done. Raquel’s determination was so vibrant and strong, it could be intimidating to some. She would later graduate from the Metropolitan State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in science, criminal justice, and criminology. While attending MSU, she was a member of the MSU Honors Program and the Delta Gamma Xi Chapter of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society.
During her battle with cancer, Raquel juggled many jobs. She worked at Gymboree and Mama’s Helpers, a place where she nannied and was beloved by each and every clients’ children she cared for. Many of her clients so strongly wished for Raquel’s return that they offered things like free attendance at events, zoos, museums, and even a trip to Spain. Raquel also interned at Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office where she reviewed cold case files, fuelling her passion for anything crime related even more. She poured her heart and soul into helping anyone she cared for, and that mattered to her more than anything. Outside of her work and education, Raquel was sure to be her authentic self as much as possible, staying true to her norms like coloring, polishing her nails with her mother, watching her favorite shows and movies, alongside new ones. She continued regular work outs even after the physical therapy she was partaking in ended, which her lovely Auntie Sela graciously volunteered to help her with. Raquel was also an avid reader and made sure she read on her Kindle before bed every night, even if that meant falling asleep in her bed after reading one page. As determined as she was to keep her life as normal as possible, she would also take days to simply do nothing in order to allow her brain time to process everything.
Although the last few years of her life were centered around her illness, her family didn’t see it that way. Often her family would even forget she was sick at all due to the light she brought to the world no matter the circumstances. Raquel was not defined by her diagnosis. Being the resilient woman that she was, she chose to focus on telling people she loved them, giving hugs to those that needed them, and speaking her truth, which Raquel chose to embody every day, whether it was warranted or not. Even when there were days, or even weeks, where all she did was sleep, she would always find the energy to show us she was still here by being her quirky, ornery self. No matter how small our problems were compared to the fight she undertook every morning, she would always reassure us that we would get through that difficult time, even if it wasn’t through words. Being around her and watching her find joy in everything she did would inspire us to push through, even on the hardest days.
Before her diagnosis, Raquel lived her life being unapologetically true to herself. She wished the fire set ablaze within her own heart could be lit within us all and to carry it with us to this day, no matter what the detriment or challenge we face. She wished for us to live as who we authentically are. She wanted us to be true to ourselves no matter what.
Our entire family would like to thank every person who showed even an ounce of support throughout the years. It means more to us than we could ever put into words. Luckily, Raquel was someone who liked to be prepared in many aspects of her life, including preparing a personal thank you message expressing gratitude for everyone and anyone who played a part in her journey. She wrote:
“Thank you to my entire community. Thank you to everyone who cooked meals for my family to have while going through long days at the hospital getting treatment. Thank you for all the kind letters and messages of encouragement. If we weren’t even close, if we hadn’t spoken in years, every single person who sent love, care packages, who contributed in one way or another to my family and I. You were our glimmers of light.”
Raquel Marquez is survived by her parents, Angel and Maria Marquez, her brothers, Adrian (Riley) Marquez, and Miguel Marquez, her nieces, Tatum Raquel and Ayla James Marquez, her grandparents, Juan and Eusebia Mendez, and countless aunts, uncles, and cousins. She is preceded in death by her grandparents, Enrique and Augustina Marquez, and uncles, Juan Mendez, and Manuel Marquez.
Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at 6:00 PM at Heer Mortuary in Fort Morgan. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, July 24th at 10:00 AM at Saint Helena Catholic Church in Fort Morgan. Interment will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery.