Jose Eduardo Rodrigues

RODRIGUES………Jose Eduardo Rodrigues, 81, passed peacefully at home, Monday July 28th after a long illness. He was born October 12th, 1932, in Vila Nova De Ancos Soure, Coimbra, Portugal, to the late Antonio Rodrigues and Adelia Antunes Maia Rodrigues.He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Maria Fernanda Antunes Da Silva Baptista (Aires Baptista) and brother, Vasco Augusto Rodrigues.He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Julia Flanders Rodrigues, son Anthony Jose Rodrigues (Wendy Lovejoy),daughter, Alicia Maria Rodrigues ( Joseph Pesch) and numerous friends and extended family in Portugal, Venezuela, Great Britain and the United States.Zeca (to his family and dear friends) had a long and colorful career, first as a civil employee in Portugal. He served in the Portuguese Army. After maritime school, he was a purser on the Portuguese luxury passenger liner, The Santa Maria. He sailed (with his brother, Vasco, as a shipmate for seven of those years) to destinations including Mozambique, Angola, South Africa, Greece, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the United States. He was serving during the historic hijacking of the Santa Maria in 1961. Still, his most important voyage was in 1964, when he met his future wife, Julie. In the United States he worked for Southern Shipping Company in Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. He then worked for Strachan Shipping Company in Jacksonville for 28 years as an agent and operations manager. He made many friends through the port of Jacksonville including stevedores, longshoremen, customs, immigration and border patrol agents, river pilots, tugboat operators, as well numerous crewmembers and ships’ captains from around the globe. He was a natural diplomat and a tireless and thorough professional. In addition he was an Honorary Consul for the Republic of Guatemala from 1970-1981.A Vigil will be held August 8th, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, 742 Arlington Rd. The Memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, August 9th at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Community Hospice of N. E. Florida and the Jacksonville Humane Society.