Jose "Carlos" Rodriguez

Jose Carlos Rodriguez, MD, beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away on October 18, 2022, after a long illness in Princeton, IL, at age 85.

Carlos, as he was known to his close friends and family, was born in 1936 to Isolina and Manuel in La Paz, Bolivia. He received his medical degree from the Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz. As a medical intern, he was recruited, along with several friends, to immigrate to Chicago, Illinois, in 1965 to fill physician vacancies by those serving in the Vietnam War. He worked his internship at Cook County Hospital when he met his wife-to-be Carol, a nursing student at West Suburban Hospital. He worked at many hospitals, most notably those in underserved communities. Carlos was a respected medical community member and practiced Family Medicine for over 40 years until his retirement in 2006. He was recognized as the Latinos of Berwyn and Cicero (LOBOS) Man of the Year in 1999.

Carlos loved the arts. He spent his retirement writing poetry, painting, and playing guitar, and he especially enjoyed sharing his love of music and Spanish ballads and classics. Carlos loved traveling and exploring other countries with his children at every opportunity. Whether visiting his son Marc in China and England or exploring his homeland, Bolivia, with his daughter Serina or a quick weekend getaway to Paris with his daughter Aimee, he was always up for exploring. We are forever grateful to his son-in-law, Matt, who took him on his most recent and final adventure to New York this past August.

Most of all, Carlos showed his love to his close friends and family. He had an infectious smile that brought warmth to all of those around him. He loved to meet people and was most content joking and bringing life to social situations. He knew every one of his neighbors and would always make a point to check in on others.

He loved jokes (both good and bad) and always had an idea up his sleeve, whether it be scrawled blueprints on a napkin for a home project or something more elaborate and outlandish. He was a man of many ideas.

Carlos and Carol spent over 40 years in Riverside, IL, where they raised their family before moving to rural Illinois to spend time on their farm. He enjoyed raising chickens, growing fruit trees, and sitting among the tall grasses at his favorite spot along the creek running through the property. He loved visits from his grandkids and especially enjoyed beating them in poker games and late-night Dairy Queen runs. Their love of the simple farm life overjoyed him, and he was always so happy to be able to share it with them. 

Carlos is survived by his wife Carol; three children, daughter Serina (Matt) and grandchildren Hannah, Josh, and Ethan; son Marc (Andrea) and granddaughters Alice and Charlotte (in England); and daughter Aimee (Mark) and grandchildren Olive, Cooper and Drake; his sister Luz (Roberto) of Las Vegas, and many nieces and nephews who were dear to his heart.

The family requests, in lieu of flowers, that contributions be made to Flying Doctors of America https://fdoamerica.org/donations. The family is grateful for the show of love and support for our beloved dad, husband, and grandpa.

Services are private.

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