Farmington Obituary: Luis Rodriguez, 94

Luis Rodriguez, 94, of Farmington, formerly of Hartford, died January 16, 2017 at UConn John Dempsey Hospital after a brief illness.

Born October 28, 1922 in Cayey, Puerto Rico to the late Marcos Rodriguez Colon and Antolina Roque, he was raised by his mother in the Polvorin section of Cayey, in the company of several siblings, after the death of his father in 1930. After attending the University of Puerto Rico at San German, Luis served in World War II and Korea as a member of the 65th Infantry Regiment “The Borinqueneers” –a unit of Puerto Rican soldiers who served in both world wars and Korea.

After one previous marriage, Luis was married in Cayey on April 2, 1951 to the late Rafaela Rivera Rodriguez with whom he had four daughters before moving to Hartford in 1961. In Hartford, Luis first worked as a Spanish-language Baptist preacher to the many Puerto Ricans who migrated to Connecticut to work in the tobacco fields around Windsor. He later worked for the YMCA, the Colt Firearms factory, and Colonial Bank before he retired in 1987. Luis then worked as a parking garage attendant in downtown Hartford until 2002.

The recipient of a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and the Combat Infantrymen’s Badge, Luis was very proud of his military service for which he received the Congressional Medal of Honor along with other living Borinqueneers in 2016. He enjoyed reading the paper, doing the “Pruzzle” in the Hartford Times, telling stories, making hackneyed jokes, and sitting in his rocking chair.

He is survived by four daughters: Judith Rodriguez McGann of Manchester, Dallas Rodriguez of West Hartford, Migdalia Rodriguez Merriman of Farmington, and Beth Rodriguez of Farmington—seven grandchildren Jennifer (Rich), Nevada (Josh), Erin (Casey), Nicolas, Megan (Tim), Michael, and Grant, five great grandchildren Michael, Mia, Moses, Andrew, and Harper, two sisters Linfa of the Bronx, NY, Alicia of South Carolina, and two brothers Miguel and Alejo in Puerto Rico as well as many nieces and nephews. Besides his wife of nearly sixty two years, he was predeceased in death by his parents, a sister Juanita, and a special son-in-law Jeffrey Robert Merriman.

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to Maria Vargas of Companions and Homemakers and the staff of Day Break of Farmington in Plainville.

Friends may call at The Ahern Funeral Home, 111 Main St., Rt. 4, Unionville on Thursday (Jan. 19) from 5:00-8:00pm. Funeral Services will be held Friday (Jan. 20) at 11:00am in The Ahern Funeral Home followed by burial with full military honors in Riverside Cemetery, Farmington.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675-8517.