That day, the funeral and burial of Mark Rodriguez, well known IEA Instructor and former Claims Manager of Farmer John, took place without rain in Los Angeles.  Early the next morning, David Stowe, the I.T. Analyst for Claims Applications at Farmers’ Insurance Company and a veteran workers’ compensation claims examiner, emailed me this picture of Mark’s casket that I’ve used here as the title picture, and wrote in the Subject Line: But it WAS a nice day. 

Mark died on Saturday, November 21st, and at first I reported that he died of complications of the flu.  But based on conversations that David Stowe heard at the funeral, Mark died while he had the flu, but not of the flu.  Informed speculation suggested that he most likely died of a heart attack, which happened during the night in his sleep.

Also according to Stowe, the music for the service and at graveside was provided by a wonderful Mariachi group which included Mark’s father, Robert.  The music was appropriate, beautiful, and very touching. 

A few individuals wrote to me in praise of Mark after I wrote a News Brief of his passing on November 25th.  Martha Cockrell, the Director of Operations and Marketing of IEA in Santa Ana, California, wrote, “We will miss Mark as an instructor.   He was a fabulous person and so very dedicated to teaching.”  Martha also asked if Mark had a favorite charity or somewhere where IEA could make a donation in his name.  If anyone has this information, please let Martha know at: Martha@IEAtraining.com

Maria Gonzalez-Brown, the Work Comp Claims Specialist at R.T. Beers & Company, wrote:  “He was an excellent instructor and a kind hearted person. I took his ‘Advanced Issues’ class way back in 2002 and recall how hard he worked too at his full time job and studying for the bar exam. He was very knowledgeable and somehow made the class exciting every week.”

I was glad to hear so many people knew Mark differently from my one and only brief encounter with him.  He called me directly one time and yelled at me because somebody in my office had called him a “spy”.  I knew the comment had been made somewhat in jest, because Mark used to try to guess the identities of our clients through our advertisements.  He would call us up and interrogate us.  So, I only knew Mark as having kind of a hot temper!  Ha, ha…

But, David Stowe knew him as a golf buddy, and also as a co-worker at California Indemnity, where Mark had been a hearing rep.  Also, it’s clear others appreciated him for his teaching. 

I thank my readers for their responses and testimonies about Mark Rodriguez.

Readers may write to writer Lonce LaMon at lonce@adjustercom.com