Dr. Jose M. Rodriguez-Freire M.D.'s Obituary
Dr. Jose Rodriguez Freire, loving husband, brother, father, and grandfather, passed away just short of his 73rd birthday in his home in Leesburg, Virginia. Dr. Freire was born in Castro, a mountain village outside of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, to his mother shortly after his own father's passing while away at sea.
When he was 12, his mother moved with him to Buenos Aires, where she remarried and gave birth to his sister, Ana. He eventually attended medical school at Universidad de Buenos Aires while working at the U.S. Information Agency, where he became a fluent speaker of English, in addition to his three other languages. He completed his residency at Wayne State University School of Medicine Lafayette Clinic, in Detroit, Michigan, and moved to New York City. There, he fell in love at first sight with his wife, Chrysanthe (Cookie) George, and eventually moved to Connecticut to start a family--first to Westport, then Stamford.
During his professional life, he was an assistant professor at both Columbia and Yale's medical colleges. He served on staff at Roosevelt Hospital, was appointed medical director of Hallbrook Hospital, and in addition to his private practice, served as a consultant for the MTA, Catholic Charities, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Bridgeport. He was on the staff at Four Winds Hospital in Katonah, N.Y., Norwalk Hospital, and became a director of psychiatry at Stamford Hospital until he retired. A true renaissance man, his achievements in medicine were matched by his award-winning paintingS, his deep knowledge of music and history, and his dedication to family.
In addition to his wife, he leaves behind two sons and a daughter-in-law, James and his wife Christine, and John Peter, and two granddaughters, Maria and Isabella, his sister, Dr. Ana Harlap, her daughter Paloma, and cousins in Spain and Argentina.
Donations in his memory can be sent to the Greek Orthodox Parish of Loudoun, 21580 Atlantic Blvd, Sterling, VA 20166.
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