James Michael Raphael was born February 22, 1934, to Julius and Elizabeth Raphael at French Hospital in Los Angeles. Michael was a noted photographer, newsman and disaster relief worker for FEMA. In the early 1940s, his family moved from LA to Altadena. He attended Eliot School and John Muir High School and Community College.
Michael enlisted in the US Army in 1954. He served in Germany as a decoder monitoring Russian Army maneuvers in East Germany. Michael was part of several confrontations with the Russians. Once two Russian tanks came across a bridge into the British/American side and stopped right outside the bunker where Michael and his team were stationed. Armed with only one pistol Michael and his crew found that the tanks had their big guns trained on them. While Michael was calling for backup, the Russian tank commanders (probably deciding that the joke had gone far enough) raised their tank guns and the tanks lumbered back across the river to the East German/Russian side.
After coming out of the army, Michael became a photographer with a Pasadena newspaper. He became known in the Southern California area for his work. During the late 1950s Michael met and married Janice Scott. They had six children together: Jennifer, Maureen, Pricilla, Michelle, Scott and Suzanne. Suzanne died a few days after her birth from blood complications. Scott died in 2021 of heart problems. Michael and Janice were married 28 years before they divorced.
Michael became a top photographer/ reporter for the Orange County Register and the Santa Barbara New Press (at the time a NYTimes affiliate). His articles and photography were often picked up by the wire services. Michael also found time to obtain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism at California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
In 1994 Michael joined FEMA and was stationed at the headquarters in Pasadena during the Northridge Earthquake. Michael’s jobs for FEMA included media relations, photographer, counselor, recorder, writer and editor. Also, in 1994, he met Stephanie Alexander. They were married in Pasadena in 1996 and spent many happy years together until his death on September 27, 2024. In 1996, they moved from Sherman Oaks to Los Osos. In 2019, Cal Poly created an advanced placement, invitation only class based on Michael’s photography. The class created and Cal Poly published the book — “Life In Focus.”
Michael was a beloved friend and family man. He was an honored reporter, teacher and disaster relief worker. He and Stephanie were invited by members of the Rosebud Sioux peoples in South Dakota to take part in sacred ceremonies. He is well remembered there, and prayers have been said for him. Michael is survived by his wife Stephanie, his children, grandchildren and his siblings Judy and John. A Celebration of Life will be held on his birthday, February 22, 2025 at Morro Shores MHP in Los Osos. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his name to Congregation Beth David, the Salvation Army or other disaster relief agencies.
