Rodney Anthony Otsuka

Rodney Anthony Otsuka was born in Garden Grove, CA on September 17th, 1978. He passed away at his childhood home on November 29th, 2021 at the age of 43 after a courageous year-long battle against kidney disease. Rodney is survived by his fiancée Heather Dagan, their son Ethan Otsuka and their daughter Gaerlan Otsuka. While fatherhood to Ethan and Gaerlan was Rodney’s single biggest source of pride and joy and greatest life accomplishment, he also never wavered from being a lovingly devoted son to his mother Rosa and late father Donald and a dependable brother to his three siblings Jacob, Desiree and Justin and their children.

Raised in a farming household that praised the values of teamwork, hard work and discipline, Rodney like all of his siblings was a good-natured, humble and dutiful child who grew into an outgoing multi-sport pre-teen athlete before eventually choosing football, which would become one of his lifelong passions. At Servite High School, Rodney earned his varsity letter as a starting nose guard - the most unselfish “team first” position in the sport - and was a legend among his teammates for an otherworldly tolerance for physical pain that produced astonishing feats of strength both in the weight room and on the gridiron. Perhaps less surprisingly, Rodney was also one of the most popular students at Servite on account of his utter inability to keep a straight face, stifle a laugh, or find anything not funny - an infectiously positive trait that made everyone want to be in Rodney’s company so he could brighten their days and ease their difficulties.

Rodney’s unique ability to bring people together through laughter and positive vibes extended well past high school into all walks and circles of his adult life. In his later years Rodney cherished football but also enjoyed basketball and baseball; apart from sports, he loved nature documentaries, sci-fi books and shows, watching (and re-watching and memorizing quotes from) epic blockbuster movies, playing the piano, attending live concerts, sushi and sake, traveling the world to see new places (Japan was his favorite), unleashing his inner child while amusement park hopping with Heather and the kids, and of course all things Star Wars. However, his favorite pastime above all remained the simplest one: socializing with friends and colleagues, sharing stories and memories that made him chuckle so uproariously that he started either crying or choke-coughing and needed to pause to gather himself. Rodney loved to tell his family and friends, “If you’re not laughing, you’re not living.” By this golden standard, Rodney was able to fit four full lifetimes into just four short decades here on earth.

As fun-loving and gregarious as Rodney was, he had another deeper, more beautiful side to his persona. Many of us who came to know Rodney over the years - whether as his extended family or from his grade school days at St. Callistus, his high school days at Servite, his college days in San Diego, or perhaps across his 20-plus years working as a dedicated healthcare professional for Kaiser Permanente - will forever remember him as a loyal friend and a beacon of light and warmth. Through the ups and downs of our lives and of his own life, Rodney steadfastly remained one of the most generous, thoughtful and unselfish individuals – always ready to sacrifice his well-being for the well-being of others on his teams. Deeply analytical, highly aware of his surroundings, and always filled with empathy, Rodney was a great listener who embraced the role of being the emotional anchor - the shoulder to cry on and expert “big bear hug” dispenser - for hundreds of family members, friends and colleagues. He always saw the good in people and their potential for positive change, and because of this he felt a constant duty to be a unifier and morale booster, cheering people up and helping get them back on track.

Godspeed to our friend and brother Rodney; may his deep bellowing laughs echo through the halls of heaven for eternity and may blessings and comfort be bestowed on the loved ones he has left behind. In lieu of flowers and in line with Rodney’s final wishes, donations to support his young children directly may be made to his online GoFundMe campaign (https://gofund.me/78a5dc05); alternatively, donations may also be made in Rodney’s name to Servite High School or Christ Cathedral.

"Every man dies. Not every man really lives."

-- William Wallace (from Braveheart, Rodney's favorite and most quoted movie of all time)

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm in the Westminster Memorial Park Main Chapel. Services will be held on Wednesday, December 15, 2021 at 11:30 am at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, California with a graveside service to follow at Westminster Memorial Park. Arrangements under the direction of Westminster Memorial Park, 14801 Beach Blvd. Westminster, CA 92683. (714) 893-2421.