Raul was born on July 4, 1986, in Abilene, TX to Raul Sanchez O. and Gloria A. Olivarez Sanchez. He attended schools in Marietta and graduated from Marietta High School with the Class of 2004. Raul attended Southern Oklahoma Tech in Ardmore, OK and Tulsa Welding School in Tulsa, OK. He spent countless hours programming and fixing computers. Raul loved listening to music, dancing, playing chess, drawing, fishing, and traveling with his mom and dad. He also spent a lot of time reading books with uncommon facts like the Guinness Book of World Records and Ripley's Believe It or Not. Raul loved tinkering around with things and figuring out how they worked, but the thing he enjoyed doing most was spending time with his family.

Raul was preceded by his grandparents, Jesus and Dora Olivarez and Raul and Noemi Sanchez.

Those left to cherish his memory are his parents, Raul Sr. and Gloria Sanchez of Marietta; sisters, Nohemi DeBerry and husband Justin of Enville, OK, and Nancy Sanchez and Curtis Gibbs of Marietta; nephews, Raymond Gibbs, Justin Gibbs, and Aedan Gibbs; and niece, Alicia DeBerry.