Concepcion Rodriguez

Concepcion Rodriguez

September 6, 1935 - February 7, 2022

How do you start an obituary about your mother?  Do you start with the facts?  Add some anecdotes along the way?  How do you compress 86 years of a life that made you, raised you, cared for you, loved you and formed you into who you are right now. We don’t know how, but let’s start at the start and see where it takes us.

Concepcion (Conchita) Eugenia Rodriguez (Ortiz-Peraza) was born in the seaside municipality of Sagua la Grande on the beautiful island of Cuba on September 6, 1935, the first child and only daughter to Antonio (Lungo) Ortiz, a Train conductor and Concepcion (Concha) Peraza, a homemaker.  Her brothers, Antonio (Tony) and Aristedes (Tico) came soon thereafter.

With long dark hair and piercing blue eyes, Conchita (as she preferred to be called) was a beautiful child, who then grew up to be a most beautiful woman.   Why, there are even photos of her as a princess in a royal court similar to our Rose Parade Court!

With such beauty, it was certain she attracted the attention of many gentlemen.  But there’s only one man that caught her eye, and that was our father Rosendo Rodriguez of Guantanamo, Cuba.

Rosendo met Conchita while she worked in a coffee shop. It was love at first sight. They enjoyed going to the movies together and every Saturday they would lunch at the Cofinal (coffee shop). They were engaged for two years.

Conchita and Rosendo married on March 1, 1958.  They settled down in Havana, Cuba, to start their lives together and raise a family.  Soon thereafter, their daughter Ileana was born, with son Rosendo Jr. (Rosendito) making his appearance soon after.  Time for Conchita to enjoy life as a wife and mother, something she always wanted to be.

However, as it sometimes happens, history comes along and changes the trajectory of your life.  Due to the political and radical turmoil descending on our small island nation, our small family of four left Cuba in 1964 and headed to our new home, America, ending up in Los Angeles, and eventually, West Covina.  We found ourselves “strangers in a strange land”, far removed from all that was familiar, not knowing anything, including the language, of our new home.

But Conchita was a resilient fighter and possessed an inner strength that kept it together for the four of us.  She was brave.  As Rosendo worked two jobs to support his family, Conchita was home, making sure her kids and husband were fed, warm, clothed and happy.  We never knew fear or need as we grew up happy and loved.  I credit both my parents for this, but it was our mother who made our little apartment a home of love and security.

As months and years passed, our parents bought and moved into a home in West Covina.  Two more children, Edward and Roxanne, came along.  Conchita thrived in her life.  She learned English by watching television, in particular soap operas, with All My Children being her favorite.  And even though English was not her first language, it didn’t stop her from getting involved in all our school and church activities.  Along the way she made many friends, some still friends to this day.  Her smile, openness, affectionate spirit, hospitality, willingness to help out and patience made her the friend we all want in our lives.

Conchita was an amazing cook.  She could take the most mundane ingredients and create a delicious meal with very little effort.  Her arroz con pollo, lasagna, picadillo, paella, and even meatloaf were out of this world.  But her best work was her Noche Buena tamales.  We all looked forward to them every year.  Nothing has come close to that and probably never will.

There was something Conchita really enjoyed.  She loved to travel.  She would say that if she ever won the lottery, she would rather spend it all traveling around the world than on material things.  And boy, did Conchita travel!  Conchita and Rosendo went on cruises and excursions, including Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, the South Pacific, Europe.  But her very favorite place, and one which they returned several times, was her beloved Spain.

However, there was something more she loved with all her heart; she loved being a grandma, abuelita, tata.  It’s a role she was born to play and she relished with gusto.  She adored her grandchildren and poured on them all her love and affection.

Conchita loved her life.  She loved her husband.  She loved her children.  She loved her grandchildren.  She loved her friends.  And she loved to dance.  Oh how she loved to dance! When that music hit, she would grab the closest person and get on that dance floor.  But her favorite dance partner was always Rosendo.  Sometimes you’d see them by themselves, dancing to music only they can hear, holding each other close.  The love was palpable.

Our mother, Conchita, was a loving and affectionate person.  She was always ready to give you a hug and fix you a meal.  She loved with no limits and no hesitation.  She was truly beautiful, both inside and out, and we are all going to miss her like crazy.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.  Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” (Prov 31:28-29)

Conchita is survived by her beloved husband Rosendo, her children Ileana, Rosendo Jr, Edward and Roxanne, son-in-law David and daughter-in-law Dawn; her grandchildren Christopher, Matthew, Timothy, Andrew, Aaron, Alyssa, Audrey, Madelyn, Peyton and Dymond.  She is preceded in death by her parents Concepcion and Antonio, her brothers Tony and Tico, and her son-in-law Michael.