Rafael Morales was still a young man, but already had worked as a storekeeper, butcher, barber, musician and baker when he traveled north from his home in Mexico to work at a Healdsburg ranch.
To his family and the people of his tiny village in Oaxaca, he also was a bit of a legend - a man who had served as mayor while still in his 20s and was known for mediating conflicts and bringing people together to build roads or bring a telephone to town.
Morales, a Windsor resident, died Tuesday of complications from diabetes and kidney disease. He was 87.
"One of the lessons I learned from him is that everyone is a citizen and everyone counts, and everyone can make a positive contribution to his community," said his son, Hugo Morales.
These were values the senior Morales put to work once he and his family were established in Sonoma County, where he was a leader in the Latino community, promoting unity, education and social justice.
"He was very community-minded, a very serious man," said George Ortiz, a longtime friend and fellow community organizer. "He didn't say things without being very serious about it. He always let his deeds do the talking."
He leaves his wife of 64 years, Concepcion Morales, and a legacy of leadership that included his role as co-founder of Latinos Unidos of Sonoma County, a nonprofit organization that granted scholarships to college-bound Latinos, provided sports equipment and uniforms for youth groups, covered burial costs for poor working families and served other needs in the immigrant community.
Morales, a Mixteco Indian raised in an impoverished indigenous village, left home after a fire destroyed his small general store and its entire inventory, most obtained on credit.
Aiming to pay off his debts, he arrived in Healdsburg in 1952 as one of the county's early braceros, working briefly on the Grace Bros. Ranch on Westside Road before moving on to the Harold McClish Ranch next door.
He labored for some 30 years in the prune orchards before their conversion to vineyards, rising through the ranks to ranch supervisor during a career that spanned more than 45 years. He earned permanent residency in 1956.
Though educated only to the third-grade level, Morales read voraciously and prized education, helping to provide $250,000 in scholarships during 20 years with Latinos Unidos, Ortiz said.
His own four children are college educated, including Hugo Morales, who attended Harvard University and Harvard Law School and is well known as the founder and executive director of Radio Bilingue, a Fresno-based public radio network that serves Latino listeners throughout the state and nation.
Son Candido Morales since 2002 has served as director of the Mexican government's Institute for Mexicans Abroad, addressing the needs of millions of Mexican nationals living in the United States.
Daughter Evelia Rosso is a Gilroy school teacher, and daughter Connie Morales is a speech therapist there.
Morales had a lust for life reflected in his love for music. He was charming and smart, and enjoyed being the center of attention, Hugo Morales said.
He played both violin and guitar, and as part of a nine-member band he had formed, spent years playing at parties, weddings and dances.
Morales volunteered at community events, including the Healdsburg Country Fair, St. John's Annual Fair, and Our Lady of Guadalupe's Spanish Choir and annual Fiesta Days in Windsor.
He was an active supporter in the early days of the United Farm Workers Union under Cesar Chavez and worked to hire and train workers from poor areas of central and southern Mexico, Candido Morales said.
He also organized a campaign to raise funds for community projects in Tequixtepec, his native village.
In addition to his wife and children, Morales is survived by sister Esther Morales of Tequixtepec, Mexico; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. today in the chapel at Romano's Windsor Mortuary, 9660 Old Redwood Highway, Windsor.
Recitation of the rosary and a funeral Mass will follow at 7 p.m. at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 8400 Old Redwood Highway in Windsor.
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