João L. Rodrigues Obituary (1940 - 2026)

ATTLEBORO - João L. Rodrigues, was born on June 15, 1940, in São Miguel, Portugal, and passed away on February 6, 2026. He attended high school in Portugal and served in the Portuguese Army. João moved to Attleboro in 1968 from his birthplace of São Miguel. He was a skilled and dedicated fabricator, who worked for several local companies including, Apco Mossberg, Englehard, Handy Harmand and SternLeach over a span of 36 years until his retirement in 2004. João was a man of many passions, which included fishing, boating and swimming in his younger years, and gardening. He also enjoyed making homemade wine, walking, and reading his Portuguese newspaper. A devout Catholic he was a member of the former Holy Ghost/St. Vincent de Paul Church and a current communicant of St. John the Evangelist Church. João was a man who valued family above all else. He loved spending time with his children and grandchildren, which were the joy of his life. João was a loving husband of 62 years to Maria E. Rodrigues of Attleboro; beloved father of Walter J. Rodrigues and his wife Karin of Danielson, CT and Deborah Arruda and husband Mark of Norton; brother of Maria Kreisler of East Providence and Eduarda Leite of Palm Coast, FL. He also leaves his 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews He was preceded in death by his parents, Guilherme and Maria da Conceicao (Victoria) Rodrigues, his son, Edward M. Rodrigues and his siblings, Guilherme, Manuel and Antonio Rodrigues and Francesca Moreira, Guimar Rodrigues and Zelia Pereira. The family would like to thank the staff at Grandview Rehab Center and the nurses, doctors and administration within the Sturdy Memorial Hospital for their care of Joao over the past many years. Visitation will be held on Sunday, February 15, 2026, from 1 -4 pm at Duffy-Poule Funeral and Cremation Services located at 20 Peck Street, Attleboro, Massachusetts. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, February 16, 2026, at 10:00 am at St. John the Evangelist Church located at 133 North Main Street, Attleboro, Massachusetts. The burial will follow at St John Cemetery, 165 West Street, Attleboro, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 6704, Hagerstown, MD 21741. We encourage everyone who knew and loved João to leave memories and upload photos to his memorial page.