Neida E. Rodriguez

Neida Rodriguez, 78, passed peacefully and surrounded by love, on Sunday, December 28, 2025, at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Born on June 14, 1947, in Pipian, Cuba, Neida was the middle sister of three girls and the beloved daughter of Jose Nilo Tejera and Ofelia Torres. She spent a joyful childhood in her small hometown, growing up on the family farm where she played alongside her sisters, Matilde and Maida and learned the values of patience, resilience, and devotion to family that would define her life.
In her mid-twenties, Neida met the love of her life, Orlando Rodriguez. A few years into their marriage, after they had become parents, the world around them in Cuba began to change, and together they made the courageous decision to leave their homeland and build a new life in the United States. They eventually settled in White Plains, New York, where Neida made a home filled with warmth, laughter, and open doors.
Neida and Orlando shared a love of travel and were fortunate to explore many countries together, but nothing brought her greater joy than welcoming family and friends into her home. Her door was always open, and her kitchen was always busy-often preparing whatever anyone might crave, even if that meant ten different dishes at once. Her children, nieces and nephews, and all of their friends always knew they had a place to stay, to eat, and to be deeply cared for.
After bravely fighting Lymphoma and enduring the loss of her husband last year, Neida leaves behind a loving family who were the center of her world. She is survived by her daughter, Mareilys Soria, and her husband, Edwin; her son, Jose "Pepe" Rodriguez, and his wife, Colleen; and her four cherished grandchildren, Ella and Nilo Rodriguez, and Nina and Alanna Soria.
When Neida became a grandmother, it was clear she had found her greatest calling-to be "Mima." Ella, Nilo, Nina, and Alanna were the lights of her life. Her love for them knew no bounds and was as fierce as it was tender.
Neida had the patience of a saint and the kindness of a guardian angel. Quiet yet strong-willed, gentle yet unwavering, she loved her family fiercely and selflessly.
Her legacy of warmth, generosity, and endless love will live on in the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know her. She will be fondly remembered and deeply missed.