I am so terribly sad to report the death of my dear friend, colleague, and constant inspiration, Raphael Boguslav. Raphael, (known in folk music circles as "Ray") touched so many of us with his artfully-crafted renditions of songs recorded on his album, "Songs from a Village Garrett", and later others. The beauty of his voice and intelligent guitar-playing also translated into a career of calligraphy, logotype creation, and also classical piano. Raphael was also a sought-after accompanist and traveled/recorded extensively with Theo Bikel and Harry Belafonte. If you haven't had the opportunity to hear his early recordings, rush to seek them out, you're in for a treat. What a loss. A fine, fine man.

Obit below from the Newport Daily News:

Raphael Boguslav
NEWPORT - Raphael Boguslav,

80, of Old Beach Road, Newport, RI, died on Sunday, July 18, 2010 at Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, one week before his 81st birthday, from complications from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident.
He is survived by his former wife, Donna Boguslav of Manhattan, New York, NY and by Mary Ann Kesson of Portsmouth, RI, his partner of fourteen years.
Born in New York, NY on July 24, 1929, he was the son of the late Isaac and Mary (Brown) Boguslav.
Raphael attended the High School of Music and Art in New York and subsequently graduated from the Cooper Union School of Art in that city. Equally talented musically he was a skillful classical pianist and a distinguished guitarist and singer. He toured extensively with Harry Belafonte and with Theodore Bikel, gave a solo concert at Carnegie Hall, and released two solo recordings.
Through the sixties he worked as a graphic designer for the firm of Lippincott and Margulies in New York, where he produced package designs, trademarks and logotypes including such iconic images as the New York Life insurance logotype and the trademark for the Internal Revenue Service. Following this he ran his own graphic design studio in Manhattan for several years. His graphic work and his pen and brush lettering earned him a prominent place in the world of fine art calligraphy.
In the nineteen seventies he moved to Newport, Rhode Island where he studied painting and continued his work as a graphic designer. He was an ardent tennis player and fan, a devoted reader, a brilliant conversationalist and a valued friend to all who knew him.
A memorial service is planned for the month of September on a date to be announced.
Funeral arrangements are by Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Broadway, Newport, RI.
Condolences, information and directions are available at www.memorialfuneralhome.com