Richard Rodriguez

He was born in Orange, California at UCI Medical Center, but grew up nearby in Stanton. As a child, he attended Wakeham Elementary and Alamitos Junior High School. From there, he transferred to Pacifica High School, and then he served in the Army from 1976 to 1979. Shortly afterwards, he met Nancy Gutierrez at a house party. They fell in love and got married on his 25th birthday, May 21st, 1983. In his adult life, he worked for Northrop Gruuman where he spent 26 years as a Spacecraft Mechanic, building some of the most technically challenging hardware in the world. In his time off, Richard loved spending as much time as possible with his family. They would go on vacation, and he and Nancy would go off on little spontaneous adventures together. Richard will be remembered by his wife and children by being the best husband and dad they could ever ask for. They will always remember his laugh and his smile, along with him cracking jokes and making everyone else laugh. Richard was also very nostalgic and loved to talk about his childhood and how cool he was, and he relished in reconnecting with his childhood friends. He was admired by his family for being the peacemaker in situations and for being present when anyone needed him. He genuinely listened whenever he was spoken to and had an answer for everything. Richard was a kind, empathetic, selfless and family-oriented person, and he will be forever loved and deeply missed by his friends and family.

Richard is survived by his wife, Nancy, and his children: Richard, Vincent, Valerie and Joanna. He is survived by his mother-in-law, Helen; his grandchildren, Ricky, Timmy, Nicole, Alana, Breanna, Jacob, Makayla, Amir, Tallon, and Ben; and one great granddaughter, Aaliyah. He is preceded in death by his parents, Pablo and Vicenta; his father-in-law, Frank; his brothers, Ruben and Rudy, and his sister, Paula.

A visitation for Richard will be held Sunday, August 27, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Dimond & Shannon Mortuary, where there will also be a rosary starting at 6 PM. There will be a funeral mass for Richard on Monday, August 28, at 10:00 AM at St. Polycarp Catholic Church. A graveside service will follow at 11:30 AM at Good Shepherd Cemetery and Mausoleum.

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