Jean M. Rodriguez

,Jean Marie Rodriguez

Jean Marie Rodriguez was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on November 13th, 1937. He was the oldest of
three children to Edgard Rodriguez and Hosanne Philogene. His siblings included:
Marie Jacquelyne Rodriguez and Max Rodriguez (Deceased). Jean’s paternal grandparents were Juan
Rodriguez, from Santiago de Cuba, and Philomene Edmond. Additionally, Jean’s
maternal grandmother was Marie Cadet.
In 1943, Jean entered primary school at Jean Marie Guilloux Catholic School in Port-au-Prince Haiti.
Following graduation, he attended the Lycée Toussaint Loverture and in 1957, Jean entered both the Law
and Polytechnique Schools at the University d’Haiti in Port-au-Prince. However, in 1959 he made the
decision to drop out of law school but continued his studies at the Polytechnique school - a school
with a reputation for developing some of the most brilliant minds in Haiti. Jean was recognized as a star
student within his cohort, graduating as an engineer in 1961.
As part of his core curriculum, Jean was required to do a Summer internship in various provinces
throughout Haiti. One of them was Jérémie. In 1957, it was there that he would meet a lovely young
woman by the name of Thérèse Gaubert. They married on January 31st, 1965, in Port-au-Prince.
Following graduation, Jean worked for the Department of Public Work (Voies et Communications). From
1962-1965, he was named district engineer in the southern city of Petit Goave. He was then
commissioned to work as a departmental engineer in Grand Anse, Jérémie, where he resided from 1965-
1967. Immediately afterward, he was offered a scholarship to study in Paris, France. While living in
France he and Thérèse visited many countries including Belgium, Holland, and Italy.
After his time in France, Jean and Thérèse, travelled to the United States. He obtained his first job with an
engineering consulting firm. In 1969, he started working for the Port Authority of New York/New Jersey.
Eager to continue to his education, he studied at New York University, where he earned a Master of
Engineering (M.E.) degree.
In 1973, Jean became a Design Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering (USACE), on
assignment with the National Park Service (NPS). He worked in three locations: Jacksonville,
Florida, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and New York City. After devoting years to his profession, he retired
in 1996. Jean was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Association of Energy Engineers.
He was a disciplined and education-oriented individual, with an inquisitive affinity toward culture,
technological science, and the arts. He was a lover of Haitian classics, such as: Jazz
des Jeunes, Guy Durosier, and Dodophe Legros as well as Cuban jazz and salsa. His prized possession
was his book collection ranging from wellness to mathematics. He was an avid consumer of news
programs; and he loved watching soccer and boxing matches.
In addition to his wife, Thérèse, Jean is survived by his children - Martine, John, and Patrick; his
granddaughter Samantha; and numerous relatives and friends.
A force to be reckoned with, Jean will be missed.

Rest in Peace

The family of Jean M. Rodriguez have requested that no flowers be sent for the service. They appreciate your kindness and your prayers for Jean. Thank you.

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