Alfonso Vega Rodriguez

He was preceded in death by his son, Al "Jr." Rodriguez, and his son-in-law, Jerome Hooper.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Carmen; his children, Carolina Olmos (Alvaro), Ofelia Hooper, Fernando Rodriguez, and Seferino Rodriguez (Sonia); his daughter-in-law, Kimberly Rodriguez; and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, who were among his greatest blessings. Through the generations, Alfonso and Carmen's family grew to include 14 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

Since Alfonso's passing, our family has come to truly understand just how far his mentorship, kindness, and unwavering faith reached. Through countless phone calls, text messages, social media posts, and personal stories, we have been overwhelmed—in the most beautiful way—by the number of lives he touched. Time and again, people have shared how he encouraged them, guided them, prayed with them, believed in them, and helped shape the person they became.

To our family, Alfonso was our rock. He and Carmen were the first people we turned to in moments of celebration and in times of hardship. They were our greatest supporters, our source of wisdom, and the foundation of our family. We have now come to realize that they were not only that for us, but for an entire boxing family that they lovingly built through Rodriguez Boxing Club. To so many, he was more than a coach—he was a mentor, a father figure, and a friend.

We will be forever grateful that God blessed us with Alfonso as our father, grandfather, and patriarch, and that He called him to be a father figure to so many others in the boxing community he loved so deeply.

As a family, we will do our best to honor his legacy by living as he lived—with unwavering faith in God, compassion for others, and a servant's heart. Through God's love and the sport of boxing, Alfonso dedicated his life to making this world a better place. We pray that by following his example, we can continue the work he began and ensure that his legacy of faith, love, mentorship, and service lives on for generations to come.