Rodriguez, Alberto Cardenas' Obituary
It is with profound love and sorrow that we announce the passing of Alberto Cárdenas Sr., who entered his eternal rest on October 14, 2025 at the age of 83. Born on February 5, 1942 in Atoyac, Jalisco Mexico, Alberto was a man whose presence was impossible to ignore: steady, strong, and always warm. He was the unwavering patriarch of his family, a God fearing man, and to all who knew him, he was known as “Bigotes” or “The Man of Steel”.
That name wasn't just about his 40 years of dedication to construction (working for Angus Asphalt Company); his true, unbreakable strength came from his heart that gave endlessly and was full of an all-encompassing love. Alberto was respectful, kind, witty and carried a great sense of humor.
Alberto’s greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his brothers, Jesus and Francisco; his devoted wife, Rosa, and their loving children Johnny, Dolores, Rosemarie, Alberto Jr., Enrique, Julia, and Angelica; his sons-in-law Jamaal and Filip and daughters-in-law Selina, Angela and Beatriz. His legacy continues in the smiles of his 16 grandchildren: Carlos, Johnny, Danny, Kristina, Larizela, Karizma, Marley, Lily, Alex, Diego, Alexa, Angel, Aracely, Ailza, Ines and Maya and his great-granddaughter Cataleya. He also leaves behind his beloved grand-dogs Luna and Valdine and grand-cats Kitty, Leo, Socks and Noah.
Alberto is preceded in death by his mother, Julia; his father, Francisco; his brothers, Enrique and Jose; his sister, Maria de Jesus and his granddaughter, Elizabeth.
He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend who truly cherished family. He never missed a chance to generously give his grandkids their birthday and Christmas spending money and “Domingos”. When family from Los Angeles visited, it was always a celebration, with Alberto at the center of a carne asada. Hours were spent outside—playing poker, laughing, talking, and enjoying the simple pleasure of being together. For him, it was never just about the food; it was about the family time he nurtured and protected.
To his family, Alberto was their very own Google, one of the smartest individuals you could ever meet. His brain was his powerhouse. He always seemed to know the answer to everything, especially when it came to history or the "back in the day" stories he loved to tell. He kept his mind sharp by journaling faithfully for years, collecting coins, and mastering crossword puzzles. His curiosity and wisdom were as strong as his heart. He also never missed a San Diego Padres game or the football season, proudly making his annual family football picks with unmatched attention to detail.
Alberto's love language was his cooking. Late spring and early summer brought his perfectly seasoned ceviche de pescado. Comfort filled the home with his famous cow soup (frijoles de la olla con carne y chile), frijoles refritos and chicharrones con frijol. Every holiday, there was his legendary ponche de granada—made with patience and care, a symbol of his dedication and love for tradition.
He was a fan of the classics; his prized possessions were his Walkman and cassettes, which played the unforgettable voices of Vicente Fernandez, Javier Solis, and Sonora Santanera. He enjoyed watching the timeless humor of Cantinflas and La India María and tuning into Sabado Gigante, El Chavo del Ocho, National Geographic and Caso Cerrado. He started his mornings with a vanilla Ensure or Cafecito and his indulgences included birotes, Bimbo pan de nuez and a cup of Maruchan Instant Ramen Noodles (in moderation). He loved purchasing his scratchers on a weekly basis. For as long his feet allowed, Alberto enjoyed taking his daily walks wearing his huaraches. His go-to spots included Food Palace, CVS, and St. Jude’s Church.
Alberto loved telling stories of his youth, and when he spoke, time seemed to slow down. His voice carried the wisdom of years and the joy of living fully. That deep care extended to nature; he found peace in his garden, diligently collecting rainwater to nurture all living things.
Alberto brought joy wherever he went. Even when the Padres bullpen faltered, his humor was genuine, his spirit childlike. He never lost his spark, still hitting piñatas at birthday parties, dancing with granddaughter Ailza through the aisles of Northgate Market and, following doctor visits, raising his arms like Rocky Balboa and proclaiming, “Now I feel strong!” His true strength, however, came from his faith. For 47 years, he sat faithfully in the back, third bench of St. Jude’s Church, a beloved parishioner who looked forward to the annual St. Jude Festival.
Alberto will be dearly missed by his family and all who knew him. His love will forever remain in our hearts, his memory etched into our minds, and his legacy woven into our lives.
Although Alberto’s physical presence is no longer with us, he will spiritually remain in our hearts forever.
We love you very much! May you Rest in Peace. Amen.
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Con profundo amor y dolor, anunciamos el fallecimiento de Alberto Cárdenas Sr., quien dejó este mundo el 14 de octubre de 2025. Nacido el 5 de febrero de 1942 en Atoyac, Jalisco, México. Alberto fue un hombre cuya presencia era imposible de ignorar: firme, fuerte y siempre cálido. Fue el patriarca inquebrantable de su familia, un hombre temeroso de Dios, y para todos los que lo conocieron, fue conocido como “Bigotes” o “El Hombre de Acero”.
Ese nombre no solo se refería a sus 40 años de dedicación a la construcción (trabajando para la compania, Angus Asphalt); su verdadera e inquebrantable fortaleza provenía de su corazón, que dio sin límites y estuvo lleno de un amor que todo lo abarcaba. Alberto era respetuoso, amable, ingenioso y tenía un gran sentido del humor.
La mayor alegría de Alberto fue su familia. Le sobreviven sus hermanos, Jesús y Francisco. Su devota esposa, Rosa, y sus amados hijos: Johnny, Dolores, Rosemarie, Alberto Jr., Enrique, Julia y Angélica. Sus yernos: Jamaal y Filip, y sus nueras: Selina, Ángela y Beatriz. Su legado continúa en las sonrisas de sus 16 nietos: Carlos, Johnny, Danny, Kristina, Larizela, Karizma, Marley, Lily, Alex, Diego, Alexa, Ángel, Aracely, Ailza, Inés y Maya; su bisnieta: Cataleya, y sus queridos "nietos-perros": Luna y Valdine, y sus "nietos-gatos": Kitty, Leo, Socks y Noah. A Alberto le precedieron en la muerte su madre, Julia, su padre, Francisco, sus hermanos, Enrique y José, su hermana, María de Jesús, y su nieta, Elizabeth.
Fue un esposo, padre, abuelo y amigo amoroso que realmente valoraba a la familia. Nunca perdió la oportunidad de dar generosamente a sus nietos sus regalos de cumpleaños, Navidad y sus “Domingos”. Cuando la familia de Los Ángeles visitaba, siempre era una celebración, con Alberto en el centro de una animada carne asada. Pasaban horas al aire libre—jugando al póker, riendo, hablando y disfrutando del simple placer de estar juntos. Para él, nunca se trató solo de la comida; se trató del tiempo en familia que nutrió y protegió.
Para su familia, Alberto era su propio Google, una de las personas más inteligentes que se pudieran conocer. Su cerebro era su motor. Siempre parecía saber la respuesta a todo, especialmente cuando se trataba de historia o de las historias "de aquellos tiempos" que le encantaba contar. Mantuvo su mente ágil llevando un diario fielmente durante años, coleccionando monedas y dominando los crucigramas. Su curiosidad y sabiduría eran tan fuertes como su corazón. Tampoco se perdió nunca un partido de los Padres de San Diego o la temporada de fútbol americano, haciendo con orgullo sus predicciones anuales de fútbol americano familiar con una atención al detalle inigualable.
El lenguaje del amor de Alberto era su cocina. A finales de la primavera y principios del verano llegaba su ceviche de pescado perfectamente sazonado. El confort llenaba el hogar con su famosa sopa de vaca (frijoles de la olla con carne y chile), frijoles refritos y chicharrones con frijol. En cada día festivo, estaba su legendario ponche de granada, hecho con paciencia y cuidado, un símbolo de su dedicación y amor por la tradición.
Era un fanático de los clásicos; sus preciadas posesiones eran su Walkman y casetes, que reproducían las voces inolvidables de Vicente Fernández, Javier Solís y Sonora Santanera. Disfrutaba viendo el humor atemporal de Cantinflas y La India María y sintonizando Sábado Gigante, El Chavo del Ocho, National Geographic y Caso Cerrado. Comenzaba sus mañanas con su lechita de Ensure (sabor a vainilla) o Cafecito, y sus indulgencias incluían birotes, pan de nuez Bimbo y una taza de Maruchan Instant Ramen Noodles (con moderación). Le encantaba comprar sus boletos de "Raspar" semanalmente. Mientras sus pies se lo permitieron, Alberto disfrutó de sus caminatas diarias usando sus Huaraches. Sus lugares de visita habituales incluían Food Palace, CVS Pharmacy y la Iglesia St. Jude.
A Alberto le encantaba contar historias de su juventud, y cuando hablaba, el tiempo parecía desacelerarse. Su voz transmitía la sabiduría de los años y la alegría de vivir plenamente. Ese profundo cuidado se extendía a la naturaleza; encontraba paz en su jardín, recolectando diligentemente agua de lluvia para nutrir a todos los seres vivos.
Alberto trajo alegría a donde quiera que iba. Incluso cuando el bullpen de los Padres fallaba, su humor era genuino, su espíritu infantil. Nunca perdió su chispa, aún golpeando piñatas en fiestas de cumpleaños, bailando con su nieta Ailza por los pasillos de Northgate Market y, después de las visitas al médico, levantando los brazos como Rocky Balboa y proclamando: “¡Ahora me siento fuerte!” Su verdadera fuerza, sin embargo, provino de su fe. Durante 47 años, se sentó fielmente en el tercer banco de atrás de la Iglesia St. Jude, un feligrés querido que esperaba con ansias el Festival anual de St. Jude cada año.
Aunque la presencia física de Alberto ya no está con nosotros, permanecerá espiritualmente en nuestros corazones para siempre.
¡Te amamos mucho! Que Descanses en Paz. Amén.
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