Maria De Lourdes Rodriguez

Maria De Lourdes Rodriguez was born on February 24th, 1945 in Ponce, Puerto Rico to Pedro Antonio Rodriguez and Luz Maria Herrera. It was not long after Maria was born that her mother Luz decided to move to New York, New York. It was here that Maria would go on to live the majority of her life.

Maria was raised primarily by her mother who instilled in her the importance of family and taught her that above all else, family always came first. Maria excelled in school while also helping her mother care for her younger siblings, Luis, Abad, and Israel.

Maria graduated from St. Cecilia in 1959 and went on to graduate high school in 1963. Upon graduating, Maria was accepted to college to continue her education but instead made the decision to put family first. She would soon go on to become a Key Punch Operator for Con Edison and in 1965 gave birth to her first child and only daughter, Yolanda, whom forever shared a special place in her heart. Finally, a couple years later, in 1967, Maria went on to meet the true love of her life Julio Cèsar Rodriguez. Unfortunately, this was just before Julio was to be shipped out to serve in Vietnam. Julio returned in 1968 and soon after Maria and Julio were married on June 28, 1971.

Julio and Maria would later go on to have two more children together. Julio Cèsar Rodriguez III was born in January of 1978 and Gabriel Alejandro Rodriguez was born in October of 1984. With their family complete and desiring a safer, more child friendly environment than the streets of New York City, Julio and Maria made the difficult decision to leave their family and friends in 1987, to settle in South Florida.

Like she had done her entire life, Maria’s primary concern when choosing a new home was the comfort and livelihood of her family. She and Julio sacrificed and worked very hard to afford the perfect house for their family. One which met all of Maria’s requirements. A home in a neighborhood with premium schools which were all within walking distance. She also required that the home be large enough for all of her children to have their own space and a room to call their own. Once again, Maria’s primary concern was her children, her family. Maria chose a home in a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida called Cooper City and it was here that Julio and Maria would watch their children grow, prosper, and in time, where they became blessed with grandchildren.

Maria would become a grandmother several times over and once again, as she had lived her entire life, Maria made the decision to prioritize her family. She chose to stop working in order to be home and help raise her grandchildren Brandon, Gabriel, Jayden, and Leonidas.

Maria and Julio would continue their lives together in that same home in Cooper City until her final days. Maria passed on January 16th, 2018 at 72 years old. Her legacy continues on in her husband Julio, daughter Yolanda, two sons: Julio and Gabriel, grandchildren: Brandon, Gabriel, Jayden, and Leonidas, sister Minerva, and brothers Abad and Israel.

Maria was a sister, wife, mother, and grandmother that would never put herself first but instead, selflessly sacrificed all her wants and needs to provide every opportunity she possibly could for her family. Happiness for her was not through receiving but through providing. Nothing brought a bigger smile to her face or more joy to her heart than watching her children/grandchildren joyfully open a gift or to witness the triumph of a family member achieve a new goal. She was truly happiest when she was sure her family had all they wanted and needed.

Although she is no longer here in her physical form, her influence and teachings live on in her family, children, and grandchildren. Her love lives on through her family and those lucky enough for her to consider to be her friends. And now, that she is no longer suffering, one thing is certain, we can all rest assured that she is comfortably looking down upon us doing the one thing she loved most. She is surely watching over all her loved ones, the way she did while she lived her life.

A visitation for Maria will be held Saturday, January 27, 2018 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Forest Lawn Funeral Home South, 2401 Southwest 64th Avenue, Davie, Florida 33317. A funeral service will occur Sunday, January 28, 2018 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM, 2401 Southwest 64th Avenue, Davie , Florida 33317. A committal service will occur Sunday, January 28, 2018 from 1:15 PM to 1:45 PM, 2401 Southwest 64th Avenue, Davie, Florida 33317.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.forestlawnsouth.com for the Rodriguez family.