Tom (Thomas) Dewey Rodriguez passed away on Aug. 28, 2023, at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle as a result of pulmonary hypertension/ hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Tom was born on Feb. 16, 1954, in Longview, Washington, to a stay-at-home mother, Betty Lou (Meade), and a former Navy sailor, Peter Carillo Rodriguez, weighing in at 3 pounds 8 ounces. As a child, Tom lived in Ryderwood, Washington, for several years with his grandparents, great uncles, mother and siblings. Tom went to grade school at Lewis County Junior Academy in Chehalis, Washington, and high school at Auburn Adventist Academy, Auburn, Washington, and Milo Adventist Academy, Milo, Oregon. Tom had a wonderful singing voice and loved singing for church. Tom delighted in playing sports, especially flag football and baseball.
During grade school, Tom worked for A.R. Twiss, M.D., at one of his Lewis County egg and chicken farms. After high school, Tom was a janitor, a meter reader and ultimately a heavy equipment operator at TransAlta, Centralia, Washington, where he worked for over 30 years. Tom especially enjoyed his job pushing and loading coal. We will miss Tom’s generosity and his warmth and endearing sense of humor that lit up any room he walked into as well as his quick and brilliant wit that made people laugh. He felt that one of his purposes in life was to brighten the day of others.
Tom loved Mariners baseball, Seahawks football, supporting girls' softball, his two little dogs, Cassie, a Maltese, and Abby, a Yorkie mix, his friends, and his family. During the last two years of his life, Tom was especially proud of the fact that he had purposely lost over 175 pounds.
Tom was single and is survived by his god-daughter, Kaiya Larson; brother, David (Vickie) Rodriguez; and four sisters, Irene Richey, Cindie Lou (Jerry) Jackson, Colleen (Hal) Hack and Carol Choffat.
Preceding him in death were his parents, Betty and George Hack, Peter Rodriguez, and a brother, Curtis Hack.
Particular thanks to Dr. Ashwin Gopalan and the team at Virginia Mason Hospital who cared for Tom in his final days. Their care and compassion are deeply appreciated.
Special thanks to Tom's coworkers at TransAlta who worked with him for so many years. He treasured your friendship and time together.
A celebration of life will be held at Fort Borst Park Kitchen No. 2 from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. In consideration of others, this will be a fragrance-free event. In honor of Tom, please consider a donation to the nonprofit Old Dog Haven, P.O. Box 1409, Oak Harbor, Washington 98277. Old Dog Haven will be placing Abby and Cassie in their new forever home and paying for their medications.
