“Alegría de vida.” This term from Spanish, meaning "joy of life", summarizes the life lived by Rodolfo A. Diaz. He was a friendly, adventurous and fun-loving man with a great sense of humor who lived life to the fullest.
Rodolfo was born on March 24, 1930 at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego California to Felipe and Maria Guadalupe. He was raised in Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico with three siblings: brother Fernando, and sisters Estella and Chelito. His adventurous life was already evident in his youth, with participation in soccer, boxing, and diving for turtles.
While at school in San Diego, he met his wife of 62 years, Maria "Lupe" Hernandez . Rodolfo joined the U. S. Naval Reserve in February, 1950. Lupe was smitten by this handsome man in his military uniform and they were married in Yuma on July 21, 1951.
Rodolfo and Lupe were blessed with 5 children; two sons, Rudy and Mario, who preceded him in death at age 15, and three daughters; twins Rose Pontau and Mary Higgs, and Maria Perez. They were also blessed with 13 grandchildren, Monica, Kristen, Claudia, Willie, Mario, Frankie, Armando, Jacqueline, Carlos, Angel, Rubi, Javier, and Reyna. They also had 30 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
After Rodolfo received his honorable Discharge in 1954, his primary occupation was in construction. He was a member of the Labor Union Local 89. After retiring from the construction business, he worked as a security guard and other jobs.
In his younger years, he was a fine lightweight boxer. He greatly loved the outdoors. His favorite pursuits were motorcycle riding, hiking, biking, camping and kayaking. One of his great achievements was summiting Mt Whitney. He has owned many dogs over the years, sometimes as many as five at a time. His children have fond memories of the many vacations they had in Mexico. Rodolfo was excellent at planning out the best routes and options for the trips.
In retirement, he found new pleasure in reading, becoming an avid reader always seeking to increase his knowledge. He and his wife were members of St. Charles Catholic Church for over 50 years.
Rodolfo was recently diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis making his battle with the flu and pneumonia too great for him to survive. Rodolfo passed away on February 19, 2013 at Scripps Hospital in Chula Vista, California. Viewing will be held on Tuesday, February 26 from 5 to 9 P.M at Del Angel Humphrey mortuary. Funeral services will be held at St. Charles Catholic Church. Rodolfo will be laid to rest in Holy Cross National Cemetery.
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