Theresa Cecilia Wascher Rodriguez (“Tessie”) was born November 4, 1930 to William and Mary Bullock Wascher. She had 3 siblings. Marie Riga of Brandon, FL and Michael Wascher of Washington DC preceded her in death. Ann Bryan lives in Decatur, Georgia. The Wascher family moved to Tampa in the late 1930s.
Tessie was an artist who loved to work with seashells, gold-leaf paint, oils and acrylics. She had an art gallery in Tampa in the 1960s, then moved to Anna Maria Island and began working with seashells and other natural wonders she could find on her beloved beaches. Many tourists have one of her shell collages to remind them of their happy vacations on the Gulf Coast.
She married Augustine Rodriguez (“Gus”) and they were married 39 years prior to his death in October 2017. During their lives together, Tessie and Gus lived in Tampa, Saint Augustine, Port Orange, Daytona, Sebring, Sevierville, Tennessee, and finally Plant City. They collaborated on many art projects – Gus built original models of ships and cathedrals which Tessie painted. Many of these models were donated to organizations. They made friends everywhere they went.
Tessie passed away on October 22, 2018 at Community Care Center in Plant City, Florida. Service to be announced.
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