Phillip Rodriguez (’96)

Phillip Rodriguez was born on Monday, May 1, 1972 to Vincent and Dolores Rodriguez in Houston, Texas. He was the third born and only son of the five children. He attended HISD schools and graduated from Milby High School in 1990. Phillip continued his education at the University of Houston where he earned his Bachelor of Art in Business. He began his career in vehicle rentals for Enterprise, and promptly moved into car sales for the same company. He remained with Enterprise Car Sales for 19 years, winning various awards for his stellar performance throughout his numerous roles within the company. Phillip always had a personality that stood out from others. Even as a child, he loved to make people laugh and was kind to everyone he met. He could bring tears to your eyes from laughing so hard without really trying. He was incredibly athletic, especially in baseball, even at young age. His love for the game followed into adulthood and him cheering on the Houston Astros. As the only boy, he had all the best video games, He-Man and Star Wars toys that he protected from his two younger sisters. He loved listening to music from Depeche Mode and Snoop Dog to Nirvana, he enjoyed a vast array of genres. Along with Star Wars being one of his favorite movies, he loved Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Nightmare on Elm Street. Although Phillip was the younger brother to his two older sisters, he was a fierce protector of their hearts. He was always a shoulder to cry on if someone was upset, and he displayed that sense of protection for his sisters, wife, and children alike. Phillip was an intelligent, considerate, hard-working man who took care of his family and always had his eye out for the next adventure. He was a magnificent father to his children, biological or not, and was always present to teach them what he knew about everything he knew. Phillip loved all the Star Wars movies (yes, even the new ones) and would get so excited to show off his old Star Wars toys, which spoke to his cheerful, kid-like personality. Second to that came his sports he enjoyed all sports, but his favorite team were the Astros. He enjoyed playing video games and watching bad reality shows to relax (he always knew the latest “chisme” for his favorite show, 90-Day Fiancee). He enjoyed traveling, though he was partial to beach destinations. He loved trying new foods everywhere he went, often exploring the entire city to find the latest gem. He was always down to entertain and made new friends everywhere he went. In fact, he considered himself a bit of a drink connoisseur and would often concoct mixed drinks of his own creation for people to sample at gatherings. Most of them were not very good, but he kept them coming anyway. Most of all, Phillip took pleasure in the simpler things in life, like lounging in his favorite recliner, watching a baseball game with his son. He will be deeply missed by his wife, Yolanda Rodriguez, son, Phillip Rodriguez, Jr., daughters, Mallory Loginov and Sasha Portillo, mother, Dolores Rodriguez, and sisters, Amanda Rodriguez-Evans, Alicia Lopez, Lisa Torres, and Christine Vallejo. He was preceded in death by his father, Vincent Rodriguez and grandparents, Joe and Anita Garza and Bernardo Sr. and Savina Rodriguez. Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 27 from 5:00PM-8:00PM in the Chapel of Forest Park East Funeral Home located at 21620 Gulf Freeway Webster, Texas.

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