Rudy Marquez passed away the morning of 3/9/22 after pneumonia following COVID-19. Rudy was an active member of the Knights of Columbus Council at St. Jude. Rudy's wife Lupita was the Basilica's Parish Secretary for several years.

Funeral Arrangements

Visitation will be Tuesday, March 15, from 4:00 to 7:00pm at St. Jude Catholic Church.

Funeral Mass at St. Jude Catholic Church with burial to follow, Wednesday, March 16 at 11am.

Please pray for Rudy's soul, especially the Divine Mercy Chaplet. 

Meal Train for the Marquez Family

About Rudy Marquez

Obituary posted on The Chattanoogan

Born In Poor Circumstances, He Rose To Become A TVA Electrical Engineer
Monday, March 14, 2022

Rodolfo “Rudy” Calva Márquez

Rodolfo “Rudy” Calva Márquez, 51, of Hixson, Tennessee, passed away on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

Rudy came from la Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, outside Mexico City. As he has told it in the past, he was born one notch below low class. Both parents worked, but his family struggled as they didn’t have any money to spare. His dad, Jose Pablo, and he, arrived in 1993 in the United States, and they worked in California and Florida before they arrived in Tennessee. They wanted a chance at a better life, and the possibility of earning enough money to send some home and save some for schooling.

When Rudy was 25, his life changed. His boss at the time, a pharmacist in New Market, TN, saw something in him. He spotted potential, a smart mind, and willingness to work. He adopted him as a son and took him under his wing. With the help of the pharmacist and many other supporters, Rudy attended Walters State Community College. He was an outstanding student. He graduated with a 3.98 grade point average in a demanding pre-engineering program. He was named to the Phi Theta Kappa USA Today All-Tennessee Academic Team, a high honor for a community college student. Tennessee Tech offered him a scholarship based on this academic excellence and again he graduated with honors. In 2003, he moved to Chattanooga, TN where the Tennessee Valley Authority hired him as an electrical engineer. 

He knew how to play the guitar and enjoyed listening to rock and 80’s music. He met his future wife, Lupita, shortly after moving to the Chattanooga area in 2003. Rudy and Lupita were married in 2005; they were blessed with two amazing sons. You would always find the four of them together; it was his goal of family togetherness.

Rudy was a parishioner of St. Jude Catholic Church. His parents instilled in him a devout Catholic faith; his faith gave him strength throughout his life. He was a 4th Degree Knight with the Knights of Columbus, Council #8576.  

He is survived by his wife, Lupita (Solis-Ocaña) Márquez, of Hixson; two sons: Adrian and Samuel; mother, Maria de los Angeles, of Mexico; sister, Ernestina Lucia, of Mexico; sister, Isabel (Gilberto), of Hixson; sister, Sofia del Refugio, of Brazil; and brother, Jose Pablo, of Mexico. Unfortunately, Rudy's father, Jose Pablo Sr., passed away the week prior to Rudy's death on March 1, 2022. 
 

Visitation with the family will be on Tuesday, March 15, from 4-7 p.m. at St. Jude Catholic Church with rosary to follow. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, March 16, at 11 a.m., at St. Jude Catholic Church, 930 Ashland Terrace, Chattanooga, TN, with burial to follow afterward. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Rudy’s name to St. Jude Catholic Church. 
 

Articles

Here are some articles that were written about Rudy Marquez in 2005 and 2009.

"Mexico Coming and Going"

"An Immigration Success Story"

 

Past Updates during Rudy Marquez' Illness

Rudy Marquez is in critical condition with complications from COVID-19. His lung has collapsed. Please pray for Rudy. Rudy's wife Lupita was the Basilica's Parish Secretary for several years. 

Lupita is praying for the intercession of the Servant of God Fr. Patrick Ryan, the pastor who ministered to Chattanoogans suffering in the yellow fever epidemic of 1878. While Rudy is suffering in this current coronavirus pandemic, all are invited to pray for Fr. Patrick Ryan's intercession. Thank you for your prayers. 
Update March 7, 2022:  
The trach procedure was a success. Rudy is still breathing with the ventilator at 50% right now, and he is on medication for low blood pressure. The doctors are still not sure what infection he has, but they are treating it with broad spectrum antibiotics. 

Update March 3, 2022:
Rudy's breathing level has improved enough that doctors will put in a temporary trach tube on March 4 at around 11:30am. This will enable him to have less sedation and to wean off the ventilator. The doctors say he is not out of the woods yet. Please continue praying.

Update from Rudy's wife, Lupita, Feb. 25, 2022:

Rudy was on his back this morning. He was about the same. 40% of ventilator usage and 92 O2 level. 

He did not like the bronchoscopy. His vitals of course dropped and they had to increase everything.

He is now across the wing where there are no cases of Covid. 

Tonight there isn't much change.

He has a fever; given a low dose of BP medicine.

The nurses lowered his sedation and he squeezed the nurse's hand and moved his toes.  Then went back to sleep.