President David Leebron and Vice President for Administration Kevin Kirby sent the following message to the Rice community in a Nov. 2 email:
We are deeply saddened to inform you of the passing of Margarita Rodriguez, a valued member of the university family who worked at Rice for nearly 40 years. She passed away on Friday from complications related to COVID-19 that she contracted several weeks ago. Her death is a painful reminder of the seriousness of this disease. Margarita was a beloved and dedicated member of the Facilities, Engineering and Planning custodian team, and she enlivened Alice Pratt Brown Hall, the home of the Shepherd School of Music, where she worked for almost her entire career. Our sympathies are with the Rodriguez family, including Margarita's son, Mario, who followed in his mother's footsteps and works for the FE&P team.