Mr. Nicholas Nicholas Rodriguez Jr. Rodriquez Jr.

Sadly Nick retired peacefully surrounded by his family around him on Sunday September 26 after a short battle with cancer. He and his wife of fifty-three years raised seven children. He is survived by his wife Carmen, Sons; Raymond Sanchez, Michael Sanchez and his wife Sharon, Nicholas Rodriquez III and his wife Maria, and Ralph Rodriquez, his daughters; Roberta Rodriquez-Martinez, Roslyn Rodriquez and her wife Angelike Kesmetis, and Rebecca Rodriquez-Paiz. Today, he is a grandfather of twelve and great grandfather of nineteen. He is also survived by a brother Joseph Rodriquez, sisters; Mary Lou Rodriquez and Lola Luna. Preceded in death by his parents Nick and Helen Rodriquez, brother Robert Rodriquez, sisters; Tina and Jenny Rodriquez.

Many remember when Nick owned a local service station –working seven days a week. He got to know everyone, and everyone got to know him. “You meet a lot of people when you run a service station,” Nick says with a smile. “They would come by to buy gas and we would start talking about what was going on in the community. I could see where there was a need, people to be helped, things to be done, and I got involved.”

He even played Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, going from house to house visiting the children of Oakley. Over the years, Nick would wear out four Santa suits. When those little children grew up and became teenagers, they would go to Nick’s station and ask for gas on credit so they could cruise. “We all owed Nick money. Sometimes he would let us work a couple of hours, and earn a few dollars so we could buy a burger,” remembers Josie Cheney, one of those teenagers, now all grown up.

In 1971, Nick closed his service station after twenty years, and was ready to begin a new career. For the next twenty-nine years, Nick worked for Contra Costa County Health Services Department as a Teen Counsel for teenage prevention and family planning outreach at churches and schools. Then went into the Social Services department as an Eligibility Technician Specialist for the next 26 years. He retired in 1997, as a Eligibility Technician Specialist III at age sixty-three.

Nick’s community involvement in the 70’s and 80’s serving on the Oakley School Board, Board of Directors for the Red Cross and chairing the Office of Economic Opportunity council, and Anti Poverty program. He also served on the original board that advocated for funds to build the Delta Community Service Center in Brentwood. Over the years, Nick continued to work on community issues, at one time he was on as many as twenty committees.

But public service was in his blood, and Nick still found time to serve on two Senior Committees. He’s on the Public Environmental Health Advisory Board and has been appointed, by the City of Oakley, to the Advisory Council on Aging for Contra Costa County. Sharon Johnson, Deputy Director of Aging & Adult Services says, “Nick has been a tireless advocate for the residents of East Contra Costa County. Everything Nick does, he does with a special flair, he is an asset to our community.”

In 1999, one of his sons became tragically disabled. Nick and his wife made a life long commitment to care for him. Then, another son and his family fell on hard times and found themselves needing to move back home. Nick and his wife are guardians for two other grandchildren. “We are a household of nine,” Nick proudly states. Part of his busy schedule was running the grandchildren back and forth to school and doing in-home care for his disabled son. He enjoyed spending time with his family, Giants Spring Training, sports, trips to Reno and working to make his community equal for everyone.

Viewing will be held from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday October 3rd at Brentwood Funeral Home 839 First Street Brentwood, CA, with rosary at 7 p.m.. A funeral mass will be held at St. Anthony’s Church at 971 O’Hare Avenue in Oakley at 10 a.m. and with a reception immediately following the mass in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation in Nick’s name to a local hospice of your choice or Delta Community Services.

Arrangements under the direction of Brentwood Funeral Home, Brentwood, CA.