Obituary of Astrea Rodriguez

            Astrea Rodríguez passed away at her home in Carmel on April 27, 2022, at the age of 96.  The daughter of a Spanish coalminer and his wife, Astrea was born in Wyco, West Virginia in 1925.  When she was 3, her father died as a result of the working conditions in the mines.  Her mother, Esperanza, took her 4 children back to Spain.  Astrea and her brothers grew up in Peñaroya-Pueblonuevo, Córdoba.  In 1939, they fled to France with thousands of other refugees fleeing the Spanish Civil War.  They lived in the ruins of a castle, suffering many hardships and hunger.

            Upon their return to Spain after the war, Astrea met and married Manuel Rodríguez and had 3 sons, Cayetano, Antonio and Manuel, before immigrating back to West Virginia where their daughter, Anita was born. 

            Astrea worked as a seamstress for many years.  She especially enjoyed making clothes, dolls, and decorative pillows for her home.  She made her daughter´s wedding dress and won a First Place Ribbon for it when she entered it in the sewing competition at the Monterey County Fair. 

            A homebody, Astrea loved her garden, preparing Spanish food such as Paella (her speciality), migas, gazpacho, repápalos, buñuelos and flan for family gatherings. She looked forward to taking long walks from Carmel Beach to Carmel Lagoon and Doggy Park – her favorite destinations.  She was an avid fan of “General Hospital” planning her walks to begin and end before the start of her favorite show each day.  She attended the Mass officiated by Pope John Paul II and met King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1987.

            Astrea loved her 4 children, 4 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren above all else.  She was very involved in helping raise her grandchildren and accompanied them to the beach, taught them Spanish and even how to cook the family´s favorite Spanish dishes.  She was an avid collector of wall plates from all over the world, Lladró figurines and family photos, all proudly displayed throughout her Carmel home.

            She will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.  She will not be forgotten by any of them.

            Mission Mortuary is in charge of funeral arrangements.  The Viewing will be held at the Mission Mortuary Chapel on Friday, May 6^th between 4-7 p.m.  Mass will be at Carmel Mission on Monday, May 9^th at 11 a.m. followed by internment at San Carlos Cemetery where she will be laid to rest next to her husband of 62 years, Manuel, who preceded her in death in 2008.  Descansa en Paz, Astrea.