Walfrido Rodriguez

We celebrate the life of Walfrido Rodriguez, our father and friend. He was born in Cuba to Dominador Rodriguez and Caridad Jimenez and in many ways never left, despite moving his entire family to the United States in 1968. He was a fiercely proud American who loved his adopted homeland, but who never forgot where he came from.

Papi, as everyone called him, lived an amazing life that started in Alto Songo, Santiago de Cuba on December 22, 1928 and led him to Havana where he met a young lady named Alicia Hilton Reid who turned out to be his soul mate, and together they went onto Miami, Chicago, Gary and ultimately to Tampa. Along the way he worked the sugar cane fields, owned his own taxi, was a doctor’s chauffer, a mason, a handyman, landlord and steelworker at U.S. Steel. He also managed to  have six kids along the way, which he and Alicia fed, clothed and provided each of them a quality education.

That kind of journey requires patience and intelligence, which Papi had in abundance. He spent what little free time he had reading the Bible, his collection of science books and in endless conversation with Alicia.

He loved to work and do anything with his hands, but especially gardening. Papi had ten green thumbs – he could make anything grow anywhere. He was firm in his patience – everything happened in its own time.

Walfrido Rodriguez died peacefully on October 20, 2015 at the age of 86 and is survived by his wife of 57 years Alicia Rodriguez and his children, Anubis, Lucia, William, Charity, Anthony, Walkiria and his 14  grandchildren. 

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