Rodolfo "Rudy" Sauceda Jr.

Rodolfo "Rudy" Sauceda Jr. passed away in Fresno, CA on September 10,
2022. He was 55 years old.
Rudy - who grew up in, and lived most of his life in Sanger, CA - is
fondly remembered by his family and friends as the kind of person who
made the lives of others better simply by being an active participant in
them. He was a great son, brother, cousin, father, husband and friend who
went out of his way to be "present" in every relationship that mattered to
him.
His first role in life was as the oldest child of Ramona and Rodolfo "Rudy"
Sauceda Sr., and the brother of Rebecca ("Becky") and Ryan. They were
the original "party of five." Eventually, of course, the table would grow to
include wives and a husband, children and grandchildren. And Rudy made
it a priority to maintain all those relationships.
Rudy didn't believe in being just a passive observer - not in his life, or the
lives of others. If he cared about you, or if you fortunate enough for it to be
said that he loved you, he made an emotional investment in you that came
straight from his heart. And, over the years, he would dedicate the time and
energy needed to grow that investment. The troubles, worries and
challenges of his family and friends became his. Without fail, he made their
health, welfare and happiness his concern.
A natural athlete who was blessed with a lifelong love of sports dating back
to Madison Elementary School - specifically football, soccer, baseball
basketball - Rudy understood early on that life was itself a contact sport.
When he cried, laughed, danced, and loved, he didn't hold back. He was
kind, funny, thoughtful, and full of emotion. He loved making people laugh,
and he was always ready with a joke. His body showed the scars of years
worth of sports injuries and corrective surgeries, and his heart was battered
from the pain of losing loved ones. He left it all on the field, as they say.
Friends didn't have to waste time trying to figure out how Rudy really felt
about something or someone. He told you, or showed you. It was obvious.
He didn't put on airs, or try to impress others, or pretend to be someone, or
something, he wasn't. He was authentic and genuine. He was a hard
worker who took very seriously his responsibilities to provide for his family,
which included his wife, Patty, and his two children, Natalie and Nicholas.
Rudy valued family, friendship, generosity, honesty, kindness and loyalty.
And those are some of the qualities that he tried to instill in Natalie and
Nicholas. He was always thinking about others. He looked out for his
parents, calling them to ask if they needed anything.
And, on his frequent trips to Sanger - where it seemed he knew everyone
and everyone knew him - he was known to keep up the tradition forged by
many of his fellow SHS "Apaches" with a pilgrimage to Chuck Wagon.
Rudy was fun to be around, a good listener and easy to love. He was an
excellent and attentive host who loved to grill, and mix drinks, for people he
cared about. He had a lifelong love affair with food, and he could find the
simple joy of sharing a good meal with good friends. Whether it was a plate
of migas for breakfast, tacos for lunch, or fresh fish for dinner, he savored
every bite. Just like he did with life itself.
Born in Fowler, CA on February 25, 1967, Rudy spent his life in his beloved
Central California. At different points, he lived in Del Rey, Sanger, Reedley,
and Fresno. He loved to travel, driving to the central coast or visiting Las
Vegas or going on a cruise. But, at the end of the trip, he always came
home, and fell back into the warm embrace of the one place where he
belonged.
Even so, Rudy also felt a spiritual connection to Texas. His parents - like
many residents of Sanger - hail from the Rio Grande Valley, and so he
had many aunts, uncles and cousins there. During football season, even
though he was surrounded by "Raider Nation," he rooted for the Dallas
Cowboys. He wore cowboy hats, loved Tex-Mex food and treasured tejano
music. You could say, he was a "Texan" who spent his entire life in
California.
Rudy's parents remember him lovingly as "a good kid" growing up. He was,
they acknowledge, "definitely mischievous, especially with Becky." He was
also a protective big brother who always stepped up and took care of Ryan.
His parents say they never had any serious problems with Rudy, but they
also note something that would become readily apparent to his friends
when he was a 10 year old with a mop of curly hair - and later to his own
children. As his parents recall, "with his fits of anger, we called him the
sitting bull." Indeed, Rudy had a temper. He would pout and perspire and
his face would turn red, so one could see that his blood was literally boiling. He had to blow off steam now and then, but he would always calm down as
quickly as he had amped up.
Rudy's wife, Patty, was the perfect partner. He was a giver, and she
gave right back to him. He took care of her, and she returned the
favor. She also had family roots in Texas, and they shared a love for
the food and music of the Lone Star State. They enjoyed traveling
together, especially to Las Vegas or to attend Tejano music festivals.
Patty will always treasure the special memories of the cruises they
took together, as well as their trips to Hawaii and San Antonio. It was
Rudy's sense of humor - and love for life - that won her over, Patty
recalls. The couple could often be found at home, hosting family and
friends at barbecues and cookouts.
Rudy was good in math, and he would have made a great teacher. Shortly
before his death, he confided to an old friend that teaching was perhaps the
path he should have pursued but didn't. He did have the chance to coach
his daughter, Natalie, who played soccer, softball, and basketball. And, by
all accounts, he was good at that.
Above all, our friend accepted that his most important job was that of being
a dad. He poured everything into that task. His son, Nick, was his travel
buddy and frequent companion. Rudy would want to be remembered,
above all, as a good father. He was supportive, kind and wanted the
absolute best for his children. Natalie recalls that her dad "gave us free
range to be who we wanted to be, and he was already there for us and
ready to give us whatever we needed."
Even if it was assistance from an indirect source. When Natalie needed
help understanding a high-level math assignment that was, for her dad, a
bit beyond his capabilities, Rudy contacted his old friend, David Garza, who
is now a high school math teacher, to explain the concept to his daughter.
That's A+ parenting, folks.
Natalie will always treasure the special moments that she and her dad shared, from father-daughter school dances to softball games. They bonded over their shared love of playing sports and their devotion to family. Asked what qualities she got from her father, Natalie responded that her decisiveness, outspokenness, honesty and boldness all came from her dad. She knows that her father did everything he could to make her happy, and that he was always bragging about her. She also remembers that her father - like many other Mexican-Americans, no doubt - could never make it through the abuela scene in the film, "Coco," without crying. Most of all, Natalie recalls, her dad's overriding message to her and her brother: Always put others first.
As we take him to his rest, Rudy would not want those who he loved and
those who loved him to be sad. He would insist that we be happy. He would
want us to celebrate his life, and cherish the everlasting effect it had on all
of us. And he would want us to leave it there, until we are reunited again.
And, at that future date, we can look forward to Rudy welcoming us with a
bear hug, cooking us a meal, serving us a drink, and telling us a story
about his arrival in paradise at the behest of our Lord. And, as we listen,
we'll share laughter and love in appreciation for a good man and a life well-
lived.
We love you, brother.
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