Gary Rodriguez Obituary

Gary was a devoted & loving husband, son & grandson who took care of his family through their illnesses without a single complaint.
He taught for over 31 yrs at HCC, USF & Tampa College and won numerous speaking awards and awards for his acting performances, including a one-man ethnographic play on the Lectors who used to read to the cigar rollers in Tampa which he researched, wrote, directed and acted in and which his father helped him to build the set. He also won professor of the year many times, as his students always appreciated his
ability to help them get past their anxieties and reach for the stars.
He especially loved teaching for HCC at MacDill AFB campus, where he taught many of our best & brightest in the military. He also loved playing golf & won several tournaments over the years. He was also involved in charity work.
Gary is survived by his wife of over 33 1/2 years, Colette Lynn (Pedregal) Rodriguez, his father-in-law & mother-in-law, Ruben & Judy Pedregal of Tampa, FL; his sister-in-law, Doreen Fernandez (Louie) of Tampa, FL; his two beautiful nieces, Ava Nicole & Alexis Janelle, of Tampa, FL; his best friends: Joe Coursey (Marilyn) of Lakeland, FL, William "Bill" Lemke (Sandra) of Lakeland, FL, and Lawrence "Larry" O'Connell (Diane) of Rego Park, NY. Gary also had many cousins, nieces, & nephews in Florida, Georgia & Alabama.
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