On January 27th, 2021, Cecilia Rodriguez, loving mother, devoted daughter, and compassionate friend passed away at the age of 62.

Cecilia was born on November 22nd, 1958 in La Raya de Calobre, Panama to Ceferino Medina and Virginia Valdivieso. She graduated in 1975 from the Instituto Justo Arocomena in Panama where she studied Private Accounting and Executive Secretarial skills. She came to the United States in 1989 and became a fully naturalized citizen on May 23rd 1997. On May 15th 1985, she married Ivan Miguel Rodriguez, and divorced on September 24th, 2004. Together they had 2 children, Elayne Cecilia Rodriguez and Juan Luis Rodriguez.

From a very young age she learned her lifelong values of hard work. By the age of 6 she was riding horses, herding cattle, farming, harvesting, and taking the 4 hour trek through harsh terrain to sell local lottery tickets at the closest town. It was here that she developed her deep respect and love of family, and began to live her life in caring service to them.

A willful, determined entrepreneur, Cecilia worked a wide variety of jobs to provide for her family both in Florida and back home in Panama. She was a School Monitor, a Crossing Guard, a Driver, a CNA and worked for seventeen years with the Hertz Corporation as a Lead Security Representative. In 2019 she founded Santiago CR Trucking LLC, and before her passing was in the process of starting a family flower business. Tenacious and unwavering, she had a creative ingenuity that allowed her to adapt and adjust to whatever life threw at her in order to continue to support those she held dear.

With a fond passion for the arts, Cecilia reveled in all things creative. Whether it was painting, pottery, fashion, sewing, or dancing, she expressed herself through ways she could share with others. She found great joy in traveling the world, and was a willing and enthusiastic participant in all life had to offer. This paired with a willingness to get in the thick of things and get her hands dirty, be it through gardening, her handiness at construction, fishing, and horse riding, she was a brilliantly well-rounded person who passed her countless skills along to her children and grandchildren.

Named after Saint Cecilia, on whose Feast Day she was born, she was a devout Catholic who gave everything she could to her friends and family. Saint Cecilia is recognized as a patron Saint of artists, specifically musicians, and it is said of her that she “sang in her heart to the Lord.” For Cecilia Rodriguez, this resonated deeply with her from a young age and she embodied this saintly trait in every way. An unwavering voice of selflessness and support to those she loved, no sacrifice was too great.

She was not wealthy, but she gave fiercely. Never hesitating when it came to the needs of others, she never sought admiration, and thanks was never expected. For her, the joys of watching another flourish was all that mattered. With a firm belief that simplicity was the key to life, and a belief in the inherent good in all people, she was a foundational inspiration to her siblings, children, grandchildren, friends, and community in which she is still recognized as a passionate mentor. She promised to raise her family's quality of life and from the moment she left home for Panama City at 14, she worked tirelessly towards that goal and fulfilled what she set out to do.

Never one to be intimidated by obstacles, she always kept her eyes to the horizon. While she was determined and unconquerable, she was also a gentle, kind soul and an endless source of support and unconditional love. Even in sad times such as these, she knew there was no hindrance that couldn’t be overcome, no burden that would not some day be lifted, and to those who knew and loved her, the example she set will never be forgotten.

Cecilia was preceded in death by her brother Arnulfo Medina and her mother Virginia. She is survived by her father Ceferino, her two children Elayne and Luis, granddaughters Ilene and Vanessa, great-granddaughter Nova, her four sisters Maria Iluminada Medina, Ana De Aguilar, Marta Arminda Medina, and Yira Lineth Medina as well as her four remaining brothers Olmedo Medina, Alfredo Medina, Adolfo Medina, and Yosmere Omar Medina.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 13th, 2021 at Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Home. The address is 8825 Old CR 54, New Port Richey, 34653. Visitation will be RSVP only. A livestream of the service will also be made available via FaceBook. In order to attend, please reach out to Luis Rodriguez via FaceBook.