Annabelle Gandeza Rodriguez

Quiet, reserved and logical are trademark qualities that friends and family might use to describe Annabelle Gandeza Rodriguez. Annabelle was an intuitive person. She was the type of person who could comfortably get lost in her thoughts, someone who had tremendous problem solving abilities. Always conscientious and focused on details, Annabelle was a person who loved to imagine the possibilities of life.

Annabelle was born on September 15, 1969 in Barrientos Luna Philippines in L A Union. She was the daughter of Rafael and Salvacion Gandeza. She was raised in Pilar Sta. Cruz Ilocos Sur. Annabelle did not have to surround herself with people to be content. She was the type of person who enjoyed being alone rather than be part of a large crowd. She could be content for hours in some activity or be lost in her own imagination.

Annabelle was adaptable and had good listening skills which she would use to her advantage when it came to family life. She grew up with seven siblings. She had three younger sisters, Mary Ann, Judyln, Jill and four younger brothers, Ramel, Rafael, Jack and Rey. She rarely shied away from family discussions. She would debate with her siblings but if it turned into an argument, Annabelle would often turn it into an agreement. In general, the family got along well and shared many memorable experiences.

In grade school, Annabelle gravitated toward others who shared similar interests and enjoyed academics more than physical activity. She was always curious about what made things work, and she would excel at the things that called more for "brain" power. Annabelle took part in basketball and volleyball. She was a scout member. She delighted in the projects that required planning, exploration and solution. As was evident by those who knew her, her most fun was to be found in books and in research.

During high school, Annabelle excelled at the challenge of learning and was especially good at taking tests and exams. She could delight more in problem solving than in the more routine school work. As long as the intellectual challenges kept coming, Annabelle was happy. She graduated from Luna National High School in 1987. Her favorite classes in high school were English and Science.

Annabelle finally found connection and fulfillment when on June 8, 1991; she exchanged wedding vows with Edgar Pascua Rodriguez at the Namacpacon Church of Luna L A Union. Edgar was influential in Annabelle's life and brought a dimension of emotion and feelings to a woman who mostly lived in her intellect. Annabelle grew, blossomed and became more balanced because of their love and compassion.

Annabelle was a hard worker and a good provider who loved her family. Annabelle was blessed with two children, one son, Mike and one daughter, Joanna. Annabelle's sense of fun was often unleashed in her puns and witty, intelligent quips. It delighted her when the children would banter back and forth with her in this brainy exchange of mind contests. The children always knew how much Annabelle loved them.

Finding the right type of job can be a challenge for anyone, but that was especially true for Annabelle Gandeza Rodriguez. She needed to find a career that would challenge her. Fortunately, she found a career path where she could use her natural intellect and her natural critical thinking skills. Her primary occupation was facility management. She was employed for 12 years by UCLA. Annabelle was a dedicated and valued employee and was respected by her colleagues for her ability to grasp and understand difficult concepts.

Hobbies were more than fun for Annabelle because she challenged herself to learn the theory behind the actual activity. Knowing how things worked was more incentive than just performing and completing the task. Her favorite pursuits were cleaning and cooking.

Annabelle found great pleasure by relaxing and watching sports on TV or in person. She was an avid student of the game and enjoyed comparing her ideas and choices with what actually happened during the game. Even though she generally would keep her feelings to herself, Annabelle would often use athletic events and sports as an outlet. In high school, Annabelle played basketball. She also enjoyed just being a sports fan. Tops on her list were National Basketball and Boxing.

Travel was a luxury for Annabelle and something that she took great pleasure in doing. Annabelle was at her best in the planning stages, as she did research and learned all about the places that she would be visiting. She wasn't as fond of dealing with the actual organizing, but once she put together all of the information, she was more than happy to turn it all over to someone else and let them put together the itinerary. Favorite vacations included going back home to the Philippines.

Annabelle Gandeza Rodriguez passed away on November 24, 2010 at Kaiser Hospital in Baldwin Park, California. She is survived by her loving family. Services were held at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.

Those who knew and loved Annabelle will miss her quiet gentleness, her curiosity and her ability to often turn work situations into fun experiences. She leaves all those who knew her with many wonderful memories.