Robert B. Rodriguez

A Funeral Service for Robert B. Rodriguez of Roseau, MN will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Helgeson Funeral Home in Roseau, MN. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. Interment will take place at Hope Cemetery in Roseau, MN.

Robert Brian Rodriguez (32) of Roseau, MN passed away in his sleep over the Christmas weekend from his lifelong battle with diabetes. 

Robert was born on January 6th, 1990, in Long Beach, CA. As a baby, Robert faced his first challenge in life with the diagnosis of spina-bifida.  Months into his life, he had surgery to repair the condition.  Doctors said his chances of not walking or having control over his little body were high.  They were wrong.  Robert grew and never showed signs relating to spina-bifida.  He was later diagnosed with diabetes at age 5.  This disease was a huge part of his life. As with any chronic disease, it caused its limitations and hardships, but for Robert, it made him resilient and strong.  We will always remember his resilience, and strength.

Our family moved to different states as a part of his dad’s job early in his life, but finally settled down in Roseau, MN as the place Robert called “home.”  We decided to remain in Roseau because our boys liked it here and wanted to stay.  Robert went to the Roseau High school and made many friends. He was the sort of kid who developed friendships easily, with many of those friendships lasting through to his last day.  My wife and I would look at his Facebook page and see over “1,000 friends” on his page and joke with him saying “Robert, you probably have a smaller group of friends, with the rest being acquaintances or people you may just know” – we were wrong.  He truly did have a very large group of friends, and this has warmed our hearts more than any will ever know. 

As a young boy, He would get his brother Nick and grab their fishing poles and fish all over the Roseau River.  Many times, my wife and I would come home to 2 or 3 large Northerns being kept alive in our bathtub, just waiting to become dinner.  Looking back, Robert was somewhat of a literalist – we would ask him to “wash dishes” and would come back to find he washed the dishes, but left the glasses and silverware unwashed, and would say “well you said wash the dishes”.  He was funny that way.  The odd thing about him doing chores around the house was that sometimes we had to “pull teeth” to get him to do a chore around the house, but when Jerry or Tina Kaml needed help to do real hard work on their farm, he was the first to answer the call.  He would do anything to help others, although he didn’t much care for chores around the house…again, funny that way.

At 18, Robert wanted to live his life and as they say, “he left the nest”.  As many parents know, no matter how old they are, they are still your baby.  He worked at Marvin Windows in Warroad and Polaris in Roseau and just about every business in town.  He loved to cook and barbeque and would always post his latest creation with pride.  He loved to eat even more than he loved to cook, and that too was one of the most wonderful things about Robert.  He tried and ate literally any food prepared –He approached life like he approached his food.  He wanted to live life to the fullest.

Robert loved to walk around town, go to garage sales, do odd jobs, but mostly he just loved to work.  Robert loved working with his hands.  Spending most of his life in Roseau, he worked at just about every place in town, but the unfortunate effects of his disease would always pull him down.  Some may have thought he didn’t want to work – on the contrary.  Robert was always excited to tell us he landed a job here or there.  For all those businesses and people who continued to give our son more chances, we thank you with all our heart.  Just remember he also appreciated the opportunity to work.

Robert loved his children, spending time with them always brought a sparkle to his eye. He was giving and caring to all his friends, was a hard worker, loved the outdoors, loved fishing, riding ATV’s and snowmobiles, was loyal and faithful, honest, caring and most of all selfless and giving.  One of his largest joys came from his love of music.  He played the drums quite well and, as a teenager, would put on his headphones and play along on his drum set in our basement – I think this is why we’ve never had any insect or mouse problems.  He was very talented musically and possessed a natural rhythm.

Most of us knew Robert as that kind, and helpful man that he was, and some of us were “lucky” to have experienced the “highs and lows” of his condition.  For anyone who may have been around him when his blood sugar was “off”, always know that that was not Robert – He was a kind & loving boy, with a heart bigger than he was.  If someone needed help, he would reach out and even offer help before being asked. 

At the end of his life, the effects of diabetes were too much for his little body and he fell asleep peacefully. 

He is survived by his large family and many friends.  His parents Bill and Elena, his brother Nicholas (Chloe) nephews Elijah and Ridley, brother Bryan White, nephews Nicky and Cooper and niece Sophie, his beautiful children Adeline (Addy), Mason and Kaiser (Kai Kai) who he has always loved deeply, Aunt Pam, Aunt Paula (Greg), Uncle Brian, Grandparents Bob and Shirley Rodriguez, Gloria Rodriguez (“Yaya”), Uncle Robert (Kim), Aunt Renee (Adolfo), cousins Savannah, Mikey, Mekiah, Jacob, Courtney, Madison, Natalia, Alessia, Dalina, Gabby and Coco.  He has a large extended family in California, Arizona and El Salvador.

Until we meet again, sleep well and be peaceful, our beautiful boy.

Link to Service: https://youtu.be/9KZTPHpIIxU

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