KIND’s Boston Office is mourning the loss of longtime volunteer Tony Rodriguez who passed away this past fall. Tony was a volunteer interpreter who volunteered thousands of hours of his time helping immigrant children and families and provided much more than just interpretation services. Tony was a source of love and support, going above and beyond his call of duty to ensure that countless children and families had access to legal and social services, financial support, housing, and any other available resource. Tony worked with KIND’s Boston office for over seven years.
In 2019, staff at KIND’s Boston office gave Tony a volunteer award to recognize his outstanding contribution to KIND and to unaccompanied children. Beginning in 2020, the office decided to honor Tony by creating an annual award in his name, the Tony Rodriguez Volunteer of the Year Award for non-attorney volunteers.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Tony moved to Massachusetts in 1969 to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He then got his master’s in engineering management from Boston University. He became a software engineer and worked at several financial institutions over the years. After retiring from his role as Vice President of Trading Systems at Fidelity Investments, Tony dedicated much of his time to advocating for immigrants in Massachusetts and at the southern U.S. border. In addition to KIND, he volunteered with the Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice, BIJAN (Boston Immigrant Justice Accompaniment Network), the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Immigrant Justice Team and the Immigration Justice Task Force, Massachusetts Immigrant Collaborative, and Rian Immigrant Center, to provide material resources and legal support to innumerable asylum seekers.
Reflecting on this loss, Alexandra Peredo Carroll, KIND’s Deputy Director of Planning and Performance, shared:
Tony has meant to so much to all of us – volunteering all of his time in retirement for the safety and well-being of the children we serve. How many times did we receive emails and calls from Tony asking if we could help just one more child? He was so moved by the plight of children and families searching for safety; his dedication and commitment touched and inspired all of us.
Tony made this world a better, brighter place and he changed the lives of so many children and families with his boundless generosity. I know we will continue to honor his legacy and that his memory and his impact will remain with us always.
KIND thanks Tony for all his work and support of children. You can read Tony’s obituary here.