Some lives illuminate more than their own path;
they light the way for everyone who walks beside them.

Zeca Rodrigues: A Lasting Light is a space of remembrance, gratitude, and love — a gathering of voices that come together to honor a woman whose life touched so many across San Diego, across California, and across generations of the Portuguese diaspora. Zeca was more than a community leader; she was a guardian of stories, a defender of our language, a bridge between oceans, and a quiet force of faith and compassion.

This tribute collection brings together reflections from friends, family, colleagues, students, and all those who were shaped by her presence. Each memory is a small flame — and together they illuminate the enduring light that Zeca left in our lives. Her kindness, her dedication, her intellect, and her unwavering service remain woven into the fabric of our community.

May these words serve not only as remembrance, but as celebration: a celebration of a life lived with purpose, dignity, and profound humanity. Zeca walked beside us — and in many ways, she still does.

Idalmiro da Rosa, Honorary Consul of Portugal in San Diego

Maria Jose Rodrigues (also known as Zeca) immigrated to San Diego in 1968, one year after my own arrival in 1967; both of us originated from island regions—Zeca from Madeira and myself from Pico, Azores.

At Point Loma High School, where we were both enrolled, we developed a friendship alongside others who shared similar backgrounds. Our Portuguese heritage united us, regardless of our specific places of origin.

During our university years, I frequently traveled from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to Berkeley, where Zeca was pursuing her studies, to meet with her and our mutual friends.

After the university days she engaged in local interests, Zeca excelled with a passion for our culture, traditions, heritage, and community wellbeing. Here are a few highlighted projects that she embraced.

Zeca and others played a key role in establishing Portuguese as an accredited class at Point Loma High School, where demand has grown over time.

Zeca supported the national “Make Portuguese Count” by PALCUS campaign for the US Census to help recognize the number of Portuguese Americans in the area.

Zeca understood how Portuguese pioneers evolved San Diego’s tuna industry, from small boats to the high-tech tuna seiners that travel farther and catch larger hauls. She often passionately addressed audiences about the Portuguese immigration stories to San Diego, highlighting the positive influence and significance of the Luso community in Point Loma.

Zeca valued her heritage and often organized groups to sing songs she would hear during her Paul do Mar childhood days. The group primarily would visit elderly families with traditional Madeira upbringings.

Zeca was involved in several local Portuguese organizations, but the Portuguese Historical and the Festa do Santo Amaro were special to her. She was always proud of her heritage, especially her connection to Madeira.

Zeca envisioned building a website called “Threads of Identity” to showcase the history of Portuguese people in San Diego, from the earliest settlers to the present-day Luso-American community. She provided numerous interviews, a project outline, and assembled a small team dedicated to completing this initiative. Zeca left us too soon with so much more to give to us all. Now you are in the Kingdom of Heaven, but you left us with immortal memories, until one day, my friend.

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Linette da Rosa, community leader in San Diego, retired school adminsitrator and educational activist

I cannot imagine a future without my dear friend, Zeca Rodrigues. When we first learned of her illness, I said to her, “You can’t go… there is still so much to do.” She would simply smile, never shedding a tear, and say “It’s all good.

Zeca leaves a remarkable legacy in our Portuguese community. She came to the aid of countless people, often in her humble, quiet and hush-hush way. Deeply proud of her heritage and culture, she shared it with grace and purpose. Through her many activities and presentations, she educated and inspired so many. She was instrumental in establishing the Portuguese language course at our local high school, and most recently she contributed to the “Seafood in San Diego” cookbook, bringing the richness of our traditions to the wider community. Zeca was always involved in something new. There seemed to be NO project she wouldn’t embrace, NO request she would ever refuse. There may be a word “NO,” but it never belonged to Zeca.

One of her greatest dreams was to write a book about the Portuguese in San Diego. We even had a title: “Threads of Identity: The Portuguese in San Diego”. At our project meetings, the agenda she prepared always at the top had her guiding belief: “We need to tell our story, so it will never be forgotten and so those who come after us can preserve it.”

As weeks became only days left as Zeca was fading….I would reassure her, “We are going to do your project”. I know that promise brought her comfort.

The following pictures capture only small pieces of the life I shared with Zeca… moments of her joy, her leadership, her faith, and her unending generosity of spirit.

I thank God for blessing me with such an extraordinary, exemplary friend who will be in my heart always.

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From Social Media Posts:

Note from PBBI-Fresno State: As we bring this tribute to a close, we do so with the awareness that Zeca’s life cannot be fully contained in a collection of words, no matter how heartfelt. Her story continues in every person she guided, every student she encouraged, every family she supported, every fisherman who trusted her wisdom, and every moment in which the Portuguese language is spoken and celebrated in California. May these pages stand not as an ending, but as a living testament — a reminder that the light she carried remains with us, illuminating the paths ahead. In remembering Zeca, we honor not only her life, but the love, faith, and courage she sowed in all of us.

We invite members of the Portuguese-American community, near and far, to join us in honoring the life of Zeca Rodrigues. If you have memories, reflections, photographs, or short messages that speak to her impact — whether personal, spiritual, or communal — we welcome your contributions. Your words will help us preserve the mosaic of voices that shaped her journey and ensure that her legacy continues to be shared with future generations.

To contribute, please send your writing or materials to: dborges@mail.fresnostate.edu

Short reflections, longer tributes, or even a single sentence of remembrance are all welcome.
Together, we will continue to carry forward the light she so generously offered to all of us.