Winifred Estelle Rodriguez

Winifred Estelle Rodriguez February 5, 1920 - January 24, 2011

Born February 5, 1920, a Port Arthur resident for most of her life, Winifred passed away in her home in San Antonio, Texas, January 24, 2011. After attending the University of Texas in Austin, she returned home and married James J. Rodriguez, her loving partner for 57 years. She was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church, the P.E.O and the Service League. She was a lover of fine art, fine food, philosophy and conversation and so enjoyed sharing this with her friends and family both in her home and theirs but especially around her well renowned dinner table. In her travels and in her expert shopping, she acquired art and beautiful items from around the world that not only made her own home a pleasure to explore, but also graced the homes of others as her hobby of interior decorating blossomed into a career. She lived each day to spread her love and beauty. She taught us women in her family to be tender and loving but strong and willful when necessary. She was a confidant who never told the secrets given to her, and for this she is irreplaceable. The family would like especially to thank Mary Jane Callaghan of Port Arthur and Virginia Hernandez of San Antonio whose assistance to Winifred was an enormous blessing and enabled Winifred to continue her impeccable presentation of self and home and became dear friends as well. Winifred was preceded by her parents Winnie Gottsleiben and William Matthew Garrett and her husband James. She is survived by her daughter J'Ann Rodriguez-Carter and son-in-law Jim Carter of San Antonio and her son James Jay Rodriguez of Memphis, TN; her sister Ann Nelson of Houston, her brother Bill Garrett of Orange Park, Florida. She was G-Lady (the Grand Lady) to her seven grandchildren Laura, Hannah, Judith, Jessica, Matthew, Johanna and Juliet and three great grandchildren, Sydney, A. J. and Maddie, who will have a new brother in the spring.