Zaida Rita Rodriguez

Ms. Rodriguez is survived by her daughters, Zaida A. Cintron, Carmen Cintron, Zoraida M. Cintron, and Zulma Cintron, grandson, Miguel Francisco Cervoni and his wife Julie Courdet; great-grandson, Tom Louis Cervoni, son in law Jose D. Cotte, her sister Ana Iris Rodriguez, her nephew Jose A. Rivero, and many other family and friends that cherish her memory. Zaida was next to the last remaining of 8 brothers and sisters.

Zaida accomplished a lot in her life. After high school she trained as a beautician. She began her bachelor’s degree in Secretarial Sciences while married and after her fourth daughter started elementary school, successfully graduating years later. She was an entrepreneur selling cosmetics, fine china and sterling silver place settings from home in her early married life. She also became a school teacher for Puerto Rico public schools. One of her early jobs was as Secretary to Luis A. Ferre, then President of Ponce Cement, who later became governor of Puerto Rico. She later managed the office of the President of Puerto Rico Iron works in Ponce, PR. Moving to NYC in the mid 1960’s she worked at Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. She missed being stranded in the big NYC blackout by hours making it home safely before the black out. On her return to Puerto Rico, she managed an air conditioner company for her brother for years. Zaida also managed a legal office for a number of years. She was most proud of her work in the Puerto Rico Senate and Legislature. Her last job was as secretary to the Speaker of the House. It was in this job where she met Carlos Romero Barcelo, then governor of Puerto Rico and candidate George Bush for whom she campaigned in his successful run for President of the US.

Having instilled in her family a love for education, generosity and positivity, she considered her most important accomplishment having single handedly raised four very successful daughters (a PHD in Linguistics, an attorney who became a Chief Administrative Law Judge, a school teacher with three Master Degrees and an Internal Medicine Doctor). Moving to Pennsylvania and then Virginia, she helped raise her grandson who is now a CPA with 2 master degrees. She recently had the pleasure of meeting her great grandson. She was always there to help anyone in need especially her family.

Zaida was a practicing Episcopalian. She had many attributes, but the one that stands out the most was her astounding faith, which helped sustain her through many trials and tribulations in her life. She never wavered or questioned her fate, but accepted God’s will for her life and lived with full knowledge that God’s ways are perfect, to the very end of her life. A shining example of faithfulness and servitude to His word. She blessed the Lord every day of her life.

Her favorite charities were Saint Jude Children’s Hospital and the Shriners Hospital for Children.

A visitation for Ms. Rodriguez will be held Saturday, January 14, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Baldwin-Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel located at 5000 County Road 46A, Sanford, FL 32771. A funeral service will occur the same day at 2:00 PM followed by a burial at Oaklawn Cemetery.