Abelardo Luis Rodriguez M.

1918 - 2018

Abelardo Luis (Rod) Rodríguez M., known throughout his life simply as Rod Rodríguez, was a native of Oakland, California, and grew up in Berkeley, the son of Luisa Montijo Rodríguez and General Abelardo Rodríguez L., Governor of Baja California, Governor of Sonora and President of Mexico. Moving to Los Angeles, he attended St. John's Military Academy, Page Military Academy, John Burroughs Junior High School, Los Angeles High School, and Pomona College. Rod was a natural athlete, competitive in high jump, the mile and the 440. After being dismissed from college for ""having the wrong attitude"" and not knowing how he would explain this to his father, he had an idea. Driving past Mines Field, now LAX, he spotted a colorful bi-wing open cockpit aircraft flown by a dashing pilot wearing helmet, goggles and white scarf. This changed the course of his life. He told his father he could think of nothing else but flying and could not go back to school. Rod went on to learn to fly, earning his Private, and Commercial licenses.

By 1940, he was a certified flight instructor and started his own flight school. Rod trained Army Air Corps cadets in a Stearman PT13, then as advanced instructor he trained Royal Air Force cadets. Rod earned an advanced instructor's rating, seaplane rating, and instrument rating.
Following the outbreak of WWII, Rod flew as a civilian pilot for the Ferry Command, delivering B25s, B26s and A20s. Then as an honorary captain in the Royal Air Force, Rod delivered bombers across the Atlantic from Canada to England. By the end of the war, he was a test pilot at North American Aviation, production flight testing P51 fighters and B25 bombers.

After WWII he flew as a commercial pilot for a short time. He was also an aerobatic pilot at air shows, a glider and hot air balloon pilot, and then began the next chapter of his life-as the acknowledged pioneer of the tourism industry in the Los Cabos area of Baja California Sur. He developed Hotel Palmilla, Hacienda Cabo San Lucas, and private club Rancho Las Cruces near La Paz. Rod could see the most desirable locations to build hotels while flying his plane. He built air strips necessary to transport his hotel guests. He opened the first Baja California Sur resort in 1950.

Rod is preceded in death by half-brothers, Fernando Rodríguez Sullivan, Juan Rodríguez Sullivan, and Abelardo Rodríguez Sullivan. Rod is survived by his loving wife Mary Bartek Rodríguez of 33 years. His former wives were Stuart Baldwin Franklin, Roberta Jean Mullineaux, Lucille Bremer, and Monique Sirand, all of whom predeceased Rod. He is also predeceased by son Lewis Ward. His children Cristina Rodríguez Battaglia, Karen Rodríguez Schramm, Nicolas Rodríguez, and Torre Ricardo Rodríguez, all of Baja California Sur, survive their father, as well as seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Rod retired from the resort business in 1965 and moved to La Jolla. He was an accomplished golfer and played at La Jolla Country Club. He was also a member of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. He and Mary moved to Rancho Santa Fe in 1984, where they were members of Fairbanks Ranch Country Club, Del Mar Country Club, and Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club. Rod's friends thought of him as an elegant, Renaissance man with a wonderful sense of humor who loved his family, friends, nature, golf, bridge, chess, dominoes, flying, hiking, and his dogs. He and Mary climbed Mt. Whitney, and he made a technical climb of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming in his 60s. He died peacefully in his home on his 100th birthday.

There will be a private memorial service.