Sirena M. Rodriguez (Martinez)

Sirena M. Rodriguez (Martinez) went to be with her Heavenly Father on Sunday, November 5, 2023. God blessed her to be a blessing to others. She was born on June 27, 1975, and was the youngest of four children born to Paul and Mary Martinez of Denver Colorado. Sirena was a Cheerleader in High School, a graduate of Metropolitan State and Colorado Christian University, and a teacher at Colorado Uplift for 26 years, but most importantly, she was a loving wife and adoring mother. On August 7, 1999, she married William Rodriguez Jr. whom she met at Praise Center Church through mutual friends. The two traveled the world together bought a home and celebrated many accomplishments; the greatest was that of the birth of their daughter Daniella on August 25, 2009. Daniella was a new adventure and the two quickly fell in love with parenthood and all of the joy that it brought. Sirena proudly watched Daniella blossom into a gifted artist, actress and singer. She wrote down that her favorite thing was watching her daughter sing for the Lord. Most recently she was excited that Daniella also joined cheer and cherished her new role as Cheer Mom and taking Daniella to cheer competitions. The three of them loved being together and with others. Sirena had a special gift of not just making friends but keeping friends. She cherished those who God brought into their lives opening her home and her heart to others. Many have said, “Sirena was my first friend”, whether it was at church, school, or work, it was her heart to connect and stay connected to others. They always made themselves available to celebrate birthdays, graduations, or just a good day, with everyone in their lives. If you invited them, they would be there, and Sirena would be dressed for the occasion. Just after receiving her B.A. from Metropolitan State University, Sirena joined Colorado Uplift, a nonprofit in the Denver area that works with children and teenagers in Denver Public Schools. Sirena was a teacher, a mentor and a friend to thousands of students for over 26 years. She worked as a post-secondary director helping high school students discover their passion for continued education after graduation. She impacted many of their lives for Christ and also gave them the encouragement and resources they needed to achieve great things. Most recently she was able to get several students into college with a full-ride four-year scholarship. She believed in them and in turn, she gave them something to believe in. The stories of her students and the impact she had on them have written a beautiful legacy that will not be forgotten. Sirena was a champion for education, the first to graduate from college in her family, Sirena went on to earn her BA in Communications from Metropolitan State University and her Master's degree in Education and Curriculum Development at Colorado Christian University. Sirena was currently working on her second Master's degree to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She had a heart for helping people and was working on a degree that would transition her from helping teenagers to helping married couples and families in the future. She loved her family, she loved fashion, and she loved taking every opportunity that life presented her whether it was travel, concerts, football, basketball, hockey, or theater; whatever it was, Sirena was there for it, and she brought others along to share the moment. But most importantly, Sirena loved God and she shared His love every opportunity that she got. From students to coworkers, family, and friends, Sirena wanted nothing more than to share Christ and how He changed her life. Sirena is preceded in death by her brother Paul Martinez Jr. and her mother, Mary Alice Martinez. She is survived by her husband William Rodriguez Jr and their daughter Daniella Rodriguez. Her Father Paul Martinez. Her sister Emily Diane and Albert Sanchez and their children, Marlena, Jessica (James), and Savannah (Stephen) and her great nephews and nieces, Michael, Emily, Christopher, Jayla, Jaslyn, Avery, Nico and Maverick. Her sister Vicky and Paul Gaschler and her children, Nichole, Rodney, and Darlene (Mike), and great-nephews, Sterling, Cory, Shiloh and great-niece, Manaya. Her in-laws Pastor William and Francine Rodriguez and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Michelle and Clement Fitzsimmons and their children, Sean (Marina), Jonathan, Preston, Lauren, and great niece Angelina-Rae. A Celebration of Life memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday November 21, 2023, at 10:30 AM at Waterstone Church, 5890 S. Alkire St. in Littleton Colorado.