Paula Marie Rodriguez

Paula Marie Rodriguez, 72, passed away on January 20, 2026, in Des Moines, Iowa. A memorial funeral service will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at Iles Dunn's Chapel in Des Moines. Family will greet guests from 2:00-4:00 p.m. prior to the service. Paula will be interred privately beside her husband, Robert Rodriguez, at Iowa Veteran's Cemetery in Adel, Iowa.

Paula was born on September 22, 1953, in Des Moines, Iowa to John and Beulah Stanish. She was a woman whose love filled every room she entered and whose laughter lingered long after the music faded. A devoted mother, she lived her life with an open heart, finding the greatest joys in the people she loved most.

Family was her anchor and her celebration. She cherished every moment spent together, whether it was a quiet conversation, a shared meal, or simply being in the same space, content and connected. To her children, she was a constant source of comfort, strength, and support; a guiding presence who loved fiercely and without condition.

Music was another language of her soul. She loved going to concerts. Those nights brought her alive, and she carried that joy with her, sharing memories and inviting others into her happiness.

She had a way of making people feel seen and valued, offering kindness freely and loving deeply. Her warmth, her generosity, and her gentle spirit touched everyone fortunate enough to know her.

Now she's with the love of her life again. Thinking of them together brings comfort, knowing she's at peace and surrounded by the same love that meant everything to her.

Though her absence leaves a profound ache, her love remains, woven into the lives she shaped and the memories she created. She will be remembered in favorite songs, in family gatherings, in moments of laughter, and in the quiet strength she passed on to those she loved.

She is survived by her daughters: Tonya (Ahmad Shams) Rodriguez, Tia (Sherrie Litty) Rodriguez, and Christina (Ronnie Sturgeon) Rodriguez; and her grandchildren: Amara, Mariana, Soliman, Ronnie JR, Persephanie, Ialya, Robert, Lola, and Xavier.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband, Roberto "Rod" Rodriguez.