Rodolfo Luis Campos

Rodolfo Luis Campos Rodolfo Luis Campos passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 27, surrounded by family, after suffering from dementia that was worsened by a severe fall in July. He was 85. Rodolfo’s life was a remarkable journey that began in pre-Castro Cuba. He was born near Camagüey in a small, rural village near the sugar refinery known as “Jaronu.” He was one of 11 brothers and sisters born to Antonio and Concepción Campos, who had immigrated to Cuba from Galicia, Spain. When he was in his early 20s, he worked on the railroad line that served the sugar refinery. He met a young teacher, Luana Casal, who had gotten a job in the “batey” (a village built to house sugar refinery workers) teaching the local children. The pair fell in love and were married. Together, they applied in the mid-1960s to leave Cuba due to Fidel Castro’s rise to power. It was an incredibly difficult decision for Rodolfo, who left behind many surviving brothers and sisters, many of whom suffered from Polycistic Kidney Disease. In fact, Rodolfo and his youngest brother Osvaldo – the only sibling surviving to this day – were the only two of the siblings who did not die from this fatal genetic disease. Rodolfo and Luana – with their children Rudy, 8, and Carlos, 2, eventually immigrated to the United States in 1970, joining Luana’s siblings Manuel, Adolfo, Cecilia and Oneida in Atlanta. His beloved daughter Lissette (Lisi) would be born in Atlanta in 1974. Rodolfo almost immediately landed a job at Rich’s Downtown retail store, an Atlanta landmark. He would eventually go to work at the department store’s Stone Mountain service center, where he would work for another 35 or so years. Working and taking care of his home and family were the hallmarks of Rodolfo’s life. In addition to his fulltime job for Rich’s, he also painted houses on weekends. He rarely had a day off. He and Luana would clean office buildings on weeknights after their day jobs, including Domino’s Pizza corporate offices in Norcross, to the delight of his children who would benefit from the generosity of the employees who occasionally left pizza for them to take home. Rodolfo was known for his humility, his physical strength, his work ethic, his selflessness and integrity, and for being a man of few words. But when he did speak, it always brought laughs. He was a master storyteller, often regaling friends and family with jokes and stories from Cuba, of his work in the sugar cane fields, and his upbringing in the rural batey. He loved to laugh, and The Three Stooges were among his favorites. He embraced American culture and the South, in particular. He loved the Atlanta Braves, the Dukes of Hazzard and Hee Haw. He was happiest sitting in front of the TV, surrounded by his family. He was rarely comfortable in a crowd, a party or other social settings. He lived simply and, on his terms, rarely – if ever - spending money on himself. He was the chef in the house, renowned for his roast pork, yucca con mojo and black beans and rice, a true Cuban delicacy that he loved to prepare – especially at holidays. He took great pride in preparing meals for his wife and children and taking care of them. Without question, his “love language” was providing. He was so proud that all three of his children graduated from college and held jobs as teachers, journalists and in finance. He was also a strict disciplinarian, rarely tolerating foolishness from his children. He taught them right from wrong, the value of making good choices and the consequences of bad decisions. The true delight in his life was the birth of his granddaughter, Gabriela, in 2003. Gabriela softened his heart like nothing we had ever seen. The two would eventually create a tradition of visiting Chick-Fil-A together for breakfast. Gabriela was among those by his side in his final days, helping to care for and comfort him. For someone who grew up in poverty and hailed from rural Cuba, he truly achieved the American Dream. He traveled internationally, visiting family in Spain and Cuba, traveled the U.S. extensively with Luana, and was able to buy two homes, one in Norcross and later a home in Suwanee in a swim and tennis community. He helped finance college educations for all three of his children through his work. He lived the last two years with his daughter in Suwanee, who was a devoted, tireless, and eminently patient caregiver to him in his final months. Rodolfo is survived by his oldest son, Rudy (wife Patti), son Carlos (wife Asa), daughter, Lisi, granddaughter Gabriela and brother Osvaldo, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in the United States, Spain and Cuba. He was a devoted husband and father, grandfather and brother. He will be missed tremendously. A brief graveside interment of his remains will be this Friday, September 2 at Forest Hills Memorial Gardens at 772 Conley Road, Forest Park, GA. The burial site is near the administrative offices. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the PKD Foundation https://pkdcure.org/.

Rodolfo Luis Campos

October 18, 1936 - August 27, 2022