St. Augustine’s Church in So. San Francisco was filled to capacity for the funeral services of Raphael Canenguez on Saturday Jan. 26. Family and friends gathered to mourn the loss of Canenguez, who died in the early morning hours of Jan. 18, after suffering from an internal infection.Canenguez was born without a spleen, and contracted an infection that couldn’t be fought off, according to Brendon Peoples, Canenguez’s best friend.The service was held in Spanish, as was the Wake service the previous night.Many of the people who attended the funeral did not speak Spanish, but that did not stop them from participating in the service, and understanding that it was a tribute to Canenguez’s life. Skyline Professors were in attendance at the service, a tribute to the hardworking student that Canenguez was. “One thing I will miss is his smile,” said Patricia Deamer, professor of Mathematics. “He always had a smile on his face and a positive outlook.”After the service people could be heard talking and reminiscing about Canenguez, from early childhood to his last semester at Skyline.”Raphael was the kind of person that you could take anything to,” Peoples said. “Even if something was bothering him, he would put it aside and help his friends out.” Canenguez returned from El Salvador on Jan. 15 after visiting family and was already registered for his spring 2008 semester classes at Skyline College when he began showing symptoms of illness.A feeling of disbelief was also surrounding the service. His close friends, and Professors too, say they never knew him to be sick, and hearing of his death was a complete shock. “He was never sick,” said Donald Bradley, one of Canenguez’s best friends. “The last time I saw him he was ready to do anything.”Bradley spent time with Canenguez just days before his death, and said that if it were up to Raphael they would have stayed out later that night.”[Raphael] was always down for anything. I would say ‘Wanna go here?’ And he would say ‘Yea let’s do it,'” Peoples said. Like many college students, Canenguez loved hanging out with his friends and listening to music (especially hip-hop). Canenguez was mostly recognized for his “Hip-Hop Ain’t Dead, it Lives in the Bay” sweatshirt, which he frequently wore to school. “We were like brothers” Bradley said. “We used to call each other names from the movie Shrek. I was Donkey, Brendon was Shrek, and Raphael was Puss N’ Boots.”Canenguez dreamed of being a fashion designer, and was planning to transfer to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising after completing his general education at Skyline.Although Canenguez is gone, his friends are determined to honor his memory. Both Peoples and Bradley plan on attending a F.I.D.M. fashion show in his honor, as well as taking a trip to El Salvador. “Even though he’s gone,” Peoples said, “he will always be in my memory. He taught me to keep my head up and keep reaching for my goals.”