Obituary of Maria Rita Rodriguez

Rodriguez, Maria Rita, 84, of St. Petersburg, passed away March 8, 2020. She is preceded in death by her husband, Joaquin; sister, Manuela; and nephew, Alfredo.

Maria obtained a Doctorate degree in Pharmacology from The University of Havana and spent her career at St. Anthony’s Hospital and Florida Blood Services in St. Petersburg, FL. She was very active in her church choir, served as a Eucharistic minister to the sick and homebound, and participated in other Catholic ministries. Maria enjoyed traveling with her husband and friends and cooking Cuban food for her family. Maria’s true love was family and making memories with her grandchildren.

She is survived by her daughters, Vicki Nelson (Kent), Christi Harrington (Michael); grandchildren Thomas, Katherine, William, Ana, Andrew and Charles; niece and nephew, Manoly and Jorge. The family will be holding private services at St. Raphael Catholic Church.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to USF Health Byrd Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute or online at https://health.usf.edu/medicine/byrd/donate