Rodolfo Briceno

My dad was strong, ambitious, helpful, athletic, talented, good-natured, talkative, and gregarious. When I was a little girl there was nothing I didn’t think my father could make or fix. I often would spend time with him as he worked on “something”. He always had a project. Once my mom and I went shopping for the afternoon and he surprised us by putting in a skylight in the kitchen. I would get tools for him… there is a joke in the family that he would say “Lolo, go get the thing-a-majig”. I would of course go thinking I knew what he wanted, coming back with the wrong thing-a-majig and then he would say, “No not that, you know the watch-a-ma-call it”. I recall it now and it seems like a comedy sketch of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on first?” It’s an understatement to say my dad worked hard. He did. If he wasn’t in the Air Force, he was furthering his education. He ran his own business, Rudy’s Heating and Air Conditioning “Rudy The Cool Man”. He was employed over the years after his retirement from the Air Force by several places as an Engineer… so having two jobs or schooling made him a very busy man. He often said, “I have to be better then the next guy.” He felt he had to be better then the best as he was from another country, a foreigner. He was the best. Worked hard, did the job right, took great pride in his work. My father Rodolfo Humberto Briceno was born in Honduras CA in 1931. His father was a merchant marine and traveled extensively. He was born under a bed during a revolution. His father offered him to come to the United States for education in agriculture and come back to Honduras with his education. He did come to the United States for schooling but did not return to Honduras to live and he did not pursue a career in agriculture. He went to school to learn English while he was in New York. He would often say: “You need to learn the language of the country in which you live to be successful”. He got a job in Manhattan, New York working in a mailroom for a large company. He delivered mail to various offices, one being the office of the president of the company and gave it to the secretary. That secretary was my mother. Their first date was on March 17th, a company party. They married on October 22,1950. To support his wife and newly born son, Rodolfo joined the United States Air Force.His second son was born 4 years later. He served in the United States Air force as an aircraft mechanic; planes were a passion for him his whole life. He was stationed in Tacoma, Washington, Chaumont, France, Arizona, Massachusetts,Florida .He also played percussion in the Air Force and soccer for the US Air Force team. He won numerous games and titles for the Air Force soccer team. In 1962, I was born in Chandler, Arizona in the middle of the Cuban Missile crisis. Being an Air Force family, we were used to moving at a moments notice. I had a bit more stability as in 1972 after 20 years in the Air Force my father retired. He still had a full life in front of him. We moved to Springfield, Massachusetts across the street from a pond. My father taught me to ride a motorcycle, drive a stick shift, water-ski, swim, fish and shoot a rifle. He taught me to try new things, to be active, to not be afraid and reach for the stars. I appreciate his protective hand now as I have raised my daughters but I balked at the rules and unwieldy protection of being a female. I was a product of American 1970 ideals and to a simple man with dreams and hopes of a better life in American. I was deemed a handful. I agree with him now. His sons followed suit going in the military, the oldest during Vietnam, and the second served during the Cold war. My mother was a stay at home mom with her sons but when I was in 5th grade I was the families first latch key kid having it on a chain around my neck, coming home to an empty house. Influenced by the times we lived in, my mother wanted some economic independence so she started working outside the home. She said she was happy finally having a girl after 12 years from their first baby. I know the joy with my own daughters. We had many wonderful times her and her girl and my girls. It brought great joy to my father to have family around. My father lived for family gatherings, loved taking everyone on his boat, taught more than one family member to water ski. Even as we were out of state the annual road trip to be with my parents will remain a source of comfort to me. I married in 1985, my father gave me away and the smile he had on that day was spectacular. Rodolfo Briceno was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the1990’s. My active, busy father slowly declined those years. He fought a great battle. His granddaughters know him as a man that fought against his body and often won. He worked himself out of a being bedridden state and unable to walk to walk again to the admiration of the staff, that loved and admired him for his determination. I was honored he came to me July 2012 on my wedding anniversary to Colorado for my family to care for him in his advanced Parkinson’s. It’s the best anniversary present I ever had from my husband that brought him from California. My father had a respect for the bible; he enjoyed bible discourses and Christian meetings. He will be remembered as the cute, well dressed older man in the wheelchair that cried at hearing that Christ’s ransom sacrifice brings blessings to mankind including a resurrection from death… and a time when those will walk again, to regain their youth, never be sick again, to be with his loved ones again on an earth full of peace with no more war. (Acts 24:15, Job 33:25, Psalms 37:10,11, John 17:3) I say goodbye to a strong, ambitious, generous, kind, good-natured, gregarious handsome father that I love very much. Loretta Maria Briceno-Schumaker Survived by Sisters: Brisaura Briceno Honduras,CA ,Aurea Ensenat Orlando, Fla. Mara Lopez Maryland,U.S ,Brother Adalberto Leiva Honduras C.A, son David George Briceno (Grass Valley, CA), daughter Loretta Maria Briceno-Schumaker and loving son Troy Thomas Schumaker, devoted granddaughters: Zipporah Rudee and Alannah May Schumaker- Denver, CO Grandsons: Rodolfo Anthony Briceno III and Joel David Briceno- California Many great-grandchildren, great cousins, nephews and nieces. Preceded in death by his Father: Hermenegildo Briceno Rodriguez & Mother: Adelina Leiva – Honduras C.A, Virginia Mary George-Briceno (wife of 60 years)- Grass Valley, CA Son: Rodolfo Anthony Briceno II, Brother -Eduardo Briceno- New York Sister: Michaela (Briceno) Honduras, C.A., Sister Bertha Briceno-Plat. Amsterdam Memorial service held at Fort Logan. Lay in rest at Fort Logan National Cemetery, Denver, Colorado with full Military Honors.