Obituary for Joseph Manuel Rodriguez
Joe Rodriguez passed away in his San Francisco home on Monday, May 18th at the age of 57. A dear brother, uncle, cousin, nephew and friend… Joe was taken from us, much too soon. He was born on March 19th, 1963, son of the late Manual and Anita (Fernandez) Rodriguez. Joe graduated from Capuchino High School in 1981, and remained a proud resident of San Francisco throughout his life. He worked for the City of San Francisco for the last 20 years as a Network Administrator at the Hall of Justice, and recently being selected to work in a new department of which he was eager and excited for the new opportunity. Previous to that, he worked as a tile setter and would always be pointing out jobs or buildings he had worked on, as you drove with him through the city.
He was the youngest of 5 children and will be deeply missed by his sister Debi Klotovich & Bob of Woodside, sister Denise Rock & Brian of Bemidji, MN, brother Mark Rodriguez & Tracy of San Francisco, and Danna Kozlik & Jeff of San Diego, CA. Uncle Joe was adored by 12 nieces and nephews: Tommy, Nikki & Rory, Mark Jr., Heather & Kalani, Renee, Josh & Maryann, Kenny, Bobby& Milu Matt, Shannah, Nick, and Zack. To them, he was playful, fun, loving, a great friend and someone they looked up to. He was also Great Uncle to Daniel, Emiliano, Kela, Kalani, Sabrina, Alexis, Michael, Manuel, Max, Anya, Dalton, Adrian, Natalia, Juliet and Bella.
Joe was the epitome of “Larger Than Life” not only in stature but more importantly in spirit. He had a huge heart and a compassion for others that could not be matched. His quick, sharp wit could always be counted on to produce a smile or a laugh like never experienced before from those who were fortunate enough to be around him. He was the funniest guy you would ever meet. Family meant so much to Joe! From an early age, he was fortunate enough to have many cousins who doubled as some of his best friends. Joe had no shortage of friends and could sometimes be found at Greenberg’s, Clooney’s or one of the other local establishments, talking sports, arguing politics, playing pranks or just simply asking “how are you doing?”.
He was an avid sports fan and one would be challenged to find a bigger supporter of “his” San Francisco Giants. On the college front, he proudly sported the Maze and Blue in support of the Michigan Wolverines. Above all else, though, was his love (putting it mildly) of the 5 time Super Bowl Champion 49ers! When they were playing… he was watching, either live or in front of the TV. He relished the fact that he was in the 5th row at Candlestick the night Jerry Rice broke the all-time touchdown record. Other things he enjoyed were: Christmas trips down to San Diego, cooking (we will all miss his Christmas Prime Rib), working on or planning house projects, Fantasy Football, but most of all… “tooling around” with his best friend (and brother) Mark.
Joe will be missed by everyone who was blessed to have known him. We will miss his smile, his jokes, his bear hugs, his loud and deafening laughs. Most of all we will miss the warmth and care he brought in to our lives.
There will be a Celebration of Life Memorial but due to the current pandemic restrictions, details are being discussed. An announcement will be made and posted when the details are decided on. For those wishing to honor Joe’s memory, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or American Heart Association.
He was the youngest of 5 children and will be deeply missed by his sister Debi Klotovich & Bob of Woodside, sister Denise Rock & Brian of Bemidji, MN, brother Mark Rodriguez & Tracy of San Francisco, and Danna Kozlik & Jeff of San Diego, CA. Uncle Joe was adored by 12 nieces and nephews: Tommy, Nikki & Rory, Mark Jr., Heather & Kalani, Renee, Josh & Maryann, Kenny, Bobby& Milu Matt, Shannah, Nick, and Zack. To them, he was playful, fun, loving, a great friend and someone they looked up to. He was also Great Uncle to Daniel, Emiliano, Kela, Kalani, Sabrina, Alexis, Michael, Manuel, Max, Anya, Dalton, Adrian, Natalia, Juliet and Bella.
Joe was the epitome of “Larger Than Life” not only in stature but more importantly in spirit. He had a huge heart and a compassion for others that could not be matched. His quick, sharp wit could always be counted on to produce a smile or a laugh like never experienced before from those who were fortunate enough to be around him. He was the funniest guy you would ever meet. Family meant so much to Joe! From an early age, he was fortunate enough to have many cousins who doubled as some of his best friends. Joe had no shortage of friends and could sometimes be found at Greenberg’s, Clooney’s or one of the other local establishments, talking sports, arguing politics, playing pranks or just simply asking “how are you doing?”.
He was an avid sports fan and one would be challenged to find a bigger supporter of “his” San Francisco Giants. On the college front, he proudly sported the Maze and Blue in support of the Michigan Wolverines. Above all else, though, was his love (putting it mildly) of the 5 time Super Bowl Champion 49ers! When they were playing… he was watching, either live or in front of the TV. He relished the fact that he was in the 5th row at Candlestick the night Jerry Rice broke the all-time touchdown record. Other things he enjoyed were: Christmas trips down to San Diego, cooking (we will all miss his Christmas Prime Rib), working on or planning house projects, Fantasy Football, but most of all… “tooling around” with his best friend (and brother) Mark.
Joe will be missed by everyone who was blessed to have known him. We will miss his smile, his jokes, his bear hugs, his loud and deafening laughs. Most of all we will miss the warmth and care he brought in to our lives.
There will be a Celebration of Life Memorial but due to the current pandemic restrictions, details are being discussed. An announcement will be made and posted when the details are decided on. For those wishing to honor Joe’s memory, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or American Heart Association.