Juan Bautista Rodriguez

Juan Bautista Garcia-Rodriguez, age 69, of Brooklyn, NY, passed away on September 7, 2012 at his home. Born in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, he was the son of the late Seferino and Arcadia Garcia Rodriguez. He was a beloved father to his children and a faithful son to his mother. When his mother took ill, he moved in with her and lovingly cared for her the last years of her life. Juan helped raise and was a father to many of his grandchildren, most of whom will always refer to him as, "Daddy." Juan was a lifelong servant who dedicated himself doing whatever he could to help others. He served as one of the first counselors at the Teen Challenge Training Center for over 8 years in Rehreresburg, PA, where he taught and counseled young men recovering from drug & alcohol addiction.

Juan's father died at an early age, and consequently, he had to leave school after 10th grade to work and help support the family. Notwithstanding, he graduated from Bible College with honors and held many different types of jobs throughout his life. He pastored a church in Bethlehem, PA for five years, where he ministered God's word and tirelessly cared for the families of the congregation. When the aging church building became condemned due to the plumbing, he asked for instructions from a plumber regarding how to fix it and did the job himself! He was very intelligent and became a jack-of-all-trades and at one point or another tinkered with plumbing, auto mechanics, electrical work, funeral home attendance, clothing material cutting, pest extermination, 7-11 cashier, and construction quality control. Juan lived out his last days calling on and checking up on his children, while also chatting and joking with the neighborhood residents of Park Slope in Brooklyn, NY, where his family had lived for over 50 years.

Juan Rodriguez is survived by his sons, John Paul Rodriguez and wife, Annette, of Aberdeen, MD and Paul John Rodriguez of Tampa, FL; daughters, Desiree Rodriguez of Baltimore, MD and Christabell Joy Rodriguez of Tampa, FL; brothers, Francisco Rodriguez of Hazelton, PA and Daniel Rodriguez of NC; sister, Sara Rodriguez of Hazelton, PA; grandchildren, Joey, Desiree, Jaslin, Marisa, Anora, Anelise and Josiah; and great-grandchildren, Desire, Jalisa, Aliyah and Michael.