Alejandro Rodriguez, Jr.

It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Alejandro “Alex” Rodriguez Jr., as he has peacefully transitioned to his heavenly home on January 11, 2021 at the age of 64 at a hospital in Corpus Christi, TX. He was born to Alejandro Sr. and Dolores Benavidez Rodriguez on January 12, 1956.  At an incredibly young age, he was intrigued by woodworking; it became one of his lifelong passions. He enjoyed listening to Christian music radio (K-Love), spending time with his two grandchildren, reserving his Saturdays to make the trip to spend time with his parents, and most importantly, date nights with his sweetheart escorting her to live Christian concerts.  Alejandro knew the definition of humble because he expressed it every day. One word that was not in his vocabulary and did not apply to him was the word SLACKER. He was a man with an extremely strong work ethic and was highly intelligent; whether it be at home or at work, we never saw him encounter a problem that he could not fix or overcome one way or another. He was recognized as the “Heart of Zachary”. His hands were strong, safe, and skilled; they were solid with integrity and conditioned by wisdom. Alejandro did not have a boastful bone in his body. A machinist for 50 years, his lengthy career took him through many machine shops with Drilco, W.L. Flowers Machine and Welding, Gary and Ross Flowers, Turbonetics Engineering & Services, David Hickam, and Brad Anderson; however, his final (and most enjoyable) accomplishment was at CITGO through Zachry Industrial Inc., being the only machinist throughout CITGO Refinery in Corpus Christi, TX.  Alejandro came to know his Lord and Savior through his uncle, Pastor Alfredo Benavidez, Jr.; he was a man of strong faith, who lived by the word every day. He was a loving, devoted, wonderful, and humble husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. His family will forever be grateful for his never-ending selflessness, his mastery of patience, the amount of knowledge he possessed while passing it down whenever he could, and his eternal love for his family. He will be deeply missed and will always be in our hearts; gone but not forgotten.

He was preceded in death by his father, Alejandro Rodriguez, Sr.; paternal grandparents, Abelino Sr., and Micaela Rodriguez; maternal grandparents, Alfredo Sr., and Cora Benavides; in-laws, Antonio Sr., and Manuela Botello; daughter-in-law, Roxanne Castillo; brother-in-law, Antonio Botello, Jr.; and uncles, Manuel Narvaez, Abelino Rodriguez, Jr., and Lino Rodriguez. Among those left to cherish Alejandro’s memory are his high school sweetheart and wife of 46 years, Sylvia Botello Rodriguez; sons, Alejandro Rodriguez, III., Adrian Rodriguez, and Aaron Rodriguez; mother, Dolores B. Rodriguez; sisters, Norma (Norberto) Rodriguez Cantu, and Sylvia Rodriguez; brothers, Alfredo (Kim) Rodriguez and Arnold (Jo) Rodriguez; sisters-in-law, Irma Vasquez and Hilda Botello; niece, Laura Botello; daughter-in-law, Chelsy Solis; grandchildren that he loved so much, Amber Denae (Albert Gonzalez) Rodriguez, Joshua Tyler Rodriguez, Rien Jacob Rodriguez, Jon Carlo Rodriguez, Madisyn Zoee Rodriguez, Elijah Aaron Rodriguez, Leah Renee Rodriguez, and Ixchel Eliana Rodriguez; great-grandson, Sebastian James Gonzalez; his work family, Neal Carranza, Arnold Sanchez, Doug Maughan, Joe Murphy, Joe Lopez, John Coffey, and the entire Zachry and CITGO Family; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.

A private memorial service will take place at a later date.