Edward R. “Eddie” Rodriguez J.D. ’77 was born in Van Nuys, California on July 23, 1947, to Efemia Fanny Gonzales (Fran) and Michael Angel Rodriguez (Mike). His parents were born in Bertram, Texas, and married in Bertram on June 8, 1946, then relocated to Southern California, where Edward’s first elementary school was North Hollywood. His mother was pleased with the accomplishments of his advanced education in the San Francisco Bay Area and would often say that Edwardo loved learning and that his years at Cupertino High School were his fondest and most treasured years, as were friends made there, and especially his dear, lifelong friends and true buddies Doug McCune, Craig Nelson, and Allen Courtney. Edward prized that time too. Graduation from UC Santa Cruz was the steppingstone to his J.D. from SCU School of Law. He meticulously enjoyed the practice of import export law with Fairchild Semiconductor, which launched added interest and progression into business development and management and his affection for traveling widely and his ensuing and distinguished careers with Synertek, Inc., Samsung Semiconductor, SMOS, Inc., Symbios Logic, and Orbit Semiconductor. Edward was dedicated to his profession in Silicon Valley, his country, and to his family and friends, making every effort to be with and among people. He was caring and supportive and liked to volunteer when needed. His sense of patriotic duty inspired enlistment in the Army to serve in Vietnam during the polarizing Vietnamese War, and when offered the optimal opportunity to be stationed in Europe, Edward immediately rejected the idea.. Like many other veterans Edward’s overall health was detrimentally affected over the years due to exposure to Agent Orange, but he never spoke of it. Overall, he would say that after experiencing Vietnam, “I’ll never complain about anything.” Proudly and commendably, he served in the Army from 1968 to 1970 in radio communications, was ranked SGT E5, and was awarded the Bronze Star medal. Edward quietly championed the lives of other veterans throughout his life. He was a great athlete, very good at all team sports, but excelled and really enjoyed being a baseball player. He loved a good cold beer, good wines, good foods—insisting on sharing “the perfect bite”—and enjoyed ordering an array of desserts to be sampled by all at the table. He loved music, loved singing, loved films, loved to be on the dance floor where his flair and gift for partner dancing. Women of all ages appreciated his charismatic talent and his emotional feeling for the music while gliding along with him. Edward loved books and was an avid reader who immersed himself in histories, biographies, and novels of the most illustrious authors on the bestseller lists. After an adventure trip to Costa Rica with friends and spouses, Edward rediscovered and developed an enthusiasm for golf and quickly became an excellent golfer, relishing the comradery of being a member of the men’s golf league. He left a far-reaching imprint wherever he went in all hearts and souls, even when he was straightforward with a strong opinion. Edward was admired for his wit, his warm personality, and being a good sport with a willingness to joke around at his own expense. His appreciation for style and dapper attire was rarely overlooked by anyone. He often, with his great sense of humor, amusingly noted that “Cary Grant looked and dressed like him.” He was a gentleman who amazingly enjoyed shopping for clothing for his family and for himself, which always included his signature white and bright colored shirts and classy socks. Not surprisingly, he was a whiz at tying a bow tie. Edward made an impression but shined most from the inside. Above all, Edward will always be remembered for his big heart, his great laugh, being empathetically tearful with other’s discomfort or with their joy, his sharing of stories to uplift the lives of others, and his knack for caring about and entertaining a room full of people. Edward is and will be undoubtedly deeply missed and well remembered by his friends and family who knew him well. A genuine person, a gentleman of true kindness, and a man of remarkable personal dynamics and spirited passion for life, Edward died unexpectedly on Oct. 29, 2018, at the age of 71 in San Jose. At his bedside were his dear daughter, Jordan, and Al, one of his dearest friends. Edward is survived by his loving wife, Lauretta Therese Blake; his beloved children, Jordan Jean, Damen E. and Cameron E. Rodriguez; a few of his parents’ siblings and several cousins; and his Chicago sisters-in-law, bothers-in-law, and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins-n-law. He was preceded in death by his younger brother, Michael Hector Rodriquez (Mike), his former wife and mother of his three children, Bonnie L. Cameron, and his parents, Fran Cannon and Mike Rodriguez.