Vivian Rodriguez

On Tuesday January 17th Vivian Rodriguez aka "Bibi" was called to heaven by our Lord. She was born in New York City (East Harlem) on January 23rd, 1938, the first of three children born to Juan and Ellie (Buenaventura Rubio) Allende. The family lived at 1930 Lexington Avenue in East Harlem. Times may have been hard back then, but they were happy for the family.
Vivian attended St. Paul's Catholic School located at 117th Street between Lexington and Park Avenues for grade 1st thru 8th then attended Julia Richmond High School, an all-girls NYC public school located in the upper east side of Manhattan.
After high school, Vivian began her employment/career in 1958 with NY Bell in the White Pages directory section. She would get angry when she saw all her and her team's hard work creating the White Pages thrown in the trash. She moved up to the positions of supervisor and finally mid-level management with NY Bell that eventually became Verizon until her early retirement in 1987.
Vivian met her husband Joseph A. Rodriguez (lovingly known as Gus) while she was a teen. They married on October 19th, 1957 at St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church, (established in 1834) in East Harlem.
They moved to Washington Heights (now known as "Little Dominican Republic") and started their family when she gave birth to their only child, a daughter named JoAnne on September 16th, 1960. One of their favorite activities was going to Orchard Beach in the Bronx or Lincoln Center in Manhattan to enjoy the free Latin/salsa music NYC had to offer.
Vivian's faith in God and her religious life grew stronger as she got older and especially when she lost her parents, her sister and especially her husband. She attended Incarnation Church in Washington Heights every Sunday, holidays and daily through Lent.
Vivian leaves behind her daughter, JoAnne Rodriguez Foster, son-in-law Anthony B. Foster, brother John (Andrea) Allende, brother-in-law Frank Aviles (Mary aka "Mani"), nieces Elizabeth (Lizzie) Rodriguez Cruz, Daphne Allende, Dori Ann Aviles, Ellie Allende, Denise Allende, Monica Allende Rodriguez, Deanna (Aviles) Williams and her only nephew Derek Allende, her godchildren Anthony Hernandez, Sandra Hernandez and Josephine Hernandez, Claudio Lake (Veronica) and Laura Smith (Jim), her great-nieces Jessica Weston, Adrianna Millan, Alexis Aviles, Illyana Rodriguez and great-nephews Jonathan Colon and Marcus Urbaez and all her cousins and friends too numerous to mention.
Vivian Rodriguez lived a wonderful life; she loved and cared for all the people mentioned above as well as her large circle of friends. Her heart was huge as was her smile. She will be missed, but always remembered fondly.