Arturo Rodriguez

His name, Arturo Rodriguez. Our Pop. Born Saturday, February 9th 1929, past away at 2:22 PM on Sunday, June 14th, 2015. He leaves behind his loving wife of 62 years, Carmen, our mother, his first born Amneris, his only son Arthur; his two youngest daughters Astrid and Yvette. All of whom will miss him, dearly. but will always remember "Pop" with a loving memory.

He was a son to his father and mother. A brother to his sisters and brothers except when he played Scrabble and 500. He was our mothers husband. To our children, nieces and nephews their Grandfather. To our cousins their “UNK" and the godfather to Freddy, Lucy, and Audrey. But most of all, a faithful and giving friend to all who knew him unless you talked politics.

He was our father, Pop.

He was a master woodcrafter, who learned through his father how to craft enduring pieces from a chunk of wood. Which he loved to work with, and with his hands, his passion, controlled intense temperament and reverence for himself; used his tools and the wood to seek the true existence and natural authentic beauty of what it had to become. If you were lucky enough to have received his work you will know the true diversity of the man who refused the ordinary and honored both style and substance in knowing they must exist to become what was inevitable.

Pop will leave behind with us the most immeasurable memories which we can choose to share or choose to keep to ourselves. He taught us right from wrong, he showed us how to listen, how to speak, how to read, how to see, how to feel, how to respect and not to make others feel any less because of their beliefs in expressing their true self. He made us cry, he made us mad, but most importantly made us laugh with his dry sense of humor. He couldn’t dance, so sorry Pop, but thank god for not passing that on to us. He made us care, he made us accountable for our actions. He made us!

Everytime we remember you Pop, our hearts and souls will smile until the memory begins to fade away and we will remember, you are no longer here with us and all we have left are our memories of you which we will embrace and try to never let go of. We will respect and seek to honor you in what you have taught us. Thank you for giving us a multi cultural education and making us find our way to love and appreciate the music, movies, art, dance, and life, that you so graciously shared with us during our youth. When we hear Beethoven we will remember in amusement of how you had made us listen and watched us as we cringed at the sound, because we wanted to hear the Bee Gees or the Beatles. How ironic it is that now our musical collection consist of more classical music and how we have made our children, nieces, nephews and godchildren endure the same in their youth and now they listen on their own. It all started with you, Pop.

Trust that we will be good children to our mother who you loved and was your beloved. She loved you with all the emotions that were thrust upon her. From the first moment she set eyes upon you, it was love. I guess that’s how it was for us when we were born and first were held in your arms and our eyes open wide.

Words from the "Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran:

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;

For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as

the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.”

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, "Joy is greater than sorrow," and others say, "Nay, sorrow is the greater."

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Brief were my days among you, and briefer still the words I have spoken.

But should my voice fade in your ears, and my love vanish in your memory, then I will come again,

And with a richer heart and lips more yielding to the spirit will I speak.

Yea, I shall return with the tide,

And though death may hide me, and the greater silence enfold me, yet again will I seek your understanding.

And not in vain will I seek.

If aught I have said is truth, that truth shall reveal itself in a clearer voice, and in words more kin to your thoughts.

I go with the wind, people of Orphalese, but not down into emptiness;

And if this day is not a fulfillment of your needs and my love, then let it be a promise till another day. Know therefore, that from the greater silence I shall return.

From all of us, thank you lord for having trusted in giving his life to us.

God be with you, Pop.

Amen.