Pedro Rodriguez

How can you fully express a young man's value and worth in the lives of so many people in one short paragraph? The answer is, you cannot. However, all of us that knew and loved Pedro will go on to tell and retell the many stories and adventures we shared with him. He was a prankster, someone that would go to great lengths to get a good laugh at someone else's expense; many of us in this room were victims of one of his elaborate pranks. Pedro valued his relationships and understood the meaning of loyalty. He demonstrated his loyalty in many ways to those he loved and it was reciprocated because he was loved so dearly. He brought people together for holidays or "just because" and shared with others what he had worked hard to acquire. He was an adventurous soul and enjoyed the things that many others feared. He was a hard worker, both in and out of work. He had dreams for himself that he was building with his own two hands. Pedro was as stubborn as they come. When his mind was made up, he did not waiver. When he was challenged, he would never back down. He was a man of his word. He was someone you could count on to be there during life's best and worst moments. We are all in mourning, however if Pedro could speak to us in this moment, he would yell at us to grab a beer and celebrate his life. He would remind us that his final chapter ended with him doing something that he loved. That was Pedro.

Pedro Antonio Gonzalez, age 33, of Yuma, Arizona passed away on December 13, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was born to Raquel Rodriguez and Pedro Gonzalez Ramirez on May 13, 1985. He graduated from Kofa High School in 2003, in Yuma, Arizona. At age 14, early 2000, Pedro joined the Yuma County Sheriff's Office Explorer Post #66 and volunteered until 2004. He moved to Las Vegas in 2005 in search of new opportunities. He proudly served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2008 to 2017. He was a member of the Carpenters Local 1977 and worked at GES for the last thirteen years. Pedro is survived by his mother; Raquel Rodriguez, sister; Perla Gonzalez, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and his girlfriend Mindy Pallares. Pedro is preceded in death by his father; Pedro Gonzalez Ramirez, grandparents; Rosa Ramirez, Alfonso Gonzalez, Sara Ramirez, Antonio Rodriguez, and cousin; Javier Rodriguez.

A final thought that we would like to share is that Pedro valued his family and friends above all else. At just thirty-three years old, he understood what many in life never seem to understand. That the people in our lives are irreplaceable. He went out of his way to not only keep in contact with friends and family but to spend time with them collectively. He was a loving son, brother, cousin, and friend and his absence will always be felt by those of us who loved him.

Love is stronger than death even though it can't stop death from happening. No matter hard death tries, it can't separate people from love. It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.