One at a time, California’s Portuguese immigrant community is losing some of its greatest, most prestigious, and illustrious figures.

            After many years of heroic struggle with a lengthy illness, José do Couto Rodrigues passed away on Sunday, March 10, 2024, in San Mateo, California, at age eighty.

            A native of Lomba da Maia, São Miguel, Azores, he was the beloved son of José and Albina Bento Rodrigues. He was the brother of Bento and Guilherme Rodrigues (who preceded him in death) and António Rodrigues, a resident of Kingston, Ontario, Canada. He completed the sixth year at Ponta Delgada’s Antero de Quental Liceu before immigrating to California as a student in 1963.

            José was part of a generation – or, more accurately, a unique group of young Azorean immigrants, particularly from the concelho of Ribeira Grande – who left the Azores in late 1950s and early 1960s to study in California. This was uncommon then , as the principal Micaelense migration destinations were Massachusetts and Canada, not California. Further, the majority of islanders left their homeland for jobs, not universities. However, there is evidence that in this period several youths from Rabo de Peixe, Lomba da Maia and above all Ribeira Grande left São Miguel to pursue their educational goals in the Golden State; this topic merits further analysis at an appropriate time and place.

            José Rodrigues completed his Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, then earned his MBA at San Francisco State University in 1977. He served as treasurer of SFSU’s Student Association for three years before being chosen to serve as General Manager of the Associated Students for six years, until 1977, during the period when the modern Student Union facility was constructed.

            After graduation, and for several decades, José spent most of his professional life in the travel industry, in managerial positions with Hertz Car Rental and later as the Pacific Regional Vice President for National Car Rental Company, in charge of a fleet of 30,000 rental vehicles. From 1994 to 1998 he served as General Manager of GreenTeam-San Jose.

            From 1965 to 1971 José co-produced and presented a daily radio program in Portuguese under the direction of his uncle Agnelo Clementino. During that period, also in partnership with his uncle, they imported films, contracted Portuguese musical artists, and presented them in halls and theaters throughout the Bay Area and San Joaquin Valley.

            Among his many community causes, José presided over the IDES Council of San Rafael and the General Assembly of Portuguese Athletic Club of San Jose; he was member of the Portuguese American Action Association and the Portuguese Communities Day; Secretary of the Board of the Giarreto Institute of San Jose, a non-profit dedicated to providing counseling and foster care for abused children; and Director of AmeriCorps–San Jose. For several decades, until recently, José was secretary of CASE (Catholic Association for Seminary Education), a non-profit founded by Portuguese priests in California to provide financial aid to Azorean and Portuguese-American seminarians.

            José was co-founder, board member, researcher, writing contributor and president for ten years of Portuguese Heritage Publications of California. For over two decades he supported and contributed to its publication of more than 30 book titles about the history of the Portuguese community in California. In 2012, in cooperation with Joe Machado and Ferreira Moreno, José do Couto Rodrigues co-authored and coordinated research on the history of Portuguese churches in California, a coffee-table volume published by PHPC as Power of the Spirit.

            He was co-chair of the IV International Conference on the Holy Spirit held in San Jose, California, in 2010, in addition to being a volunteer at the J.A. Freitas Library in San Leandro.

            Family and friends who had the joy of knowing José Rodrigues are unanimous in considering him a gentleman of superb manners and impeccable conduct, a dedicated member of the community, a man of noble character guided by the highest principles, a friend, uncle, brother-in-law, brother and husband whose loss will be deeply felt by all and a void that will never be filled.

            His family, his friends and the community have just lost one of its most important pillars and references, a person whose enviable humbleness that can only be paired with his generosity and dedication to others. Often – and without fanfare or wanting to be recognized or acknowledged for his contributions – José unconditionally espoused and supported our most important and pressing community causes.

            We will miss his physical presence, his objective and balanced opinions and his constant drive to do better, but we hope his commonsense approach, honesty, candor, gentle manners and upright nature will be among his cherished legacy.

            José Rodrigues has bequeathed to us all  – family, friends and community – a legacy and imprint on our lives. Philosophers and thinkers over the ages have unanimously expressed that the finest legacies one can leave are not material goods and riches, but the impact a person had on the lives of others. May we preserve the memory of our friend by honoring this legacy.

            José was married to Delminda Batista – to whom we express our deepest sorrow for her irreplaceable loss – who accompanied him with unsurpassed devotion for over half a century of marriage and during the ordeal of his long and draining illness, which would finally take his life but never undermine his faith and hope. Their mutual dedication and closeness will forever inspire all of us who crossed their path.

This story was originally published in the Portuguese Tribune shortly after the death of José do Couto Rodrigues. We are republishing as we honor José Rodrigues during Portuguese Immigrant Week, 2026.