Carmen Mercedes Goette

Carmen Mercedes Goette passed away from this earthly life into the arms of her loving Father on November 30, 2022, at 102 years old. She was born on March 22, 1920, in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

Carmen emigrated from Puerto Rico in the mid 1920's to Brooklyn, New York where she started her life's journey and hard work. She first attended parochial school for her primary education and graduated from New York City's Girl's Commercial High School. Her clerical training continued during the late 1930's in the National Youth Administration which continued into war production work during World War II.

She survived a serious case of tuberculosis in the late 1940's and early 1950's and began work at the Lewyt vacuum cleaner company. Moving in 1955 to the hamlet of Brentwood in Islip Township on Long Island, she first worked at a lumber company and then became secretary to the managing editor of Long Island's Newsday newspaper until her formal retirement. Her community service activities were numerous including Brentwood Public Library trustee, president of Adelante of Suffolk County, NY, deaconess in the Westminster Guild of Brentwood Presbyterian Church, Republican Party nominee to the New York State Assembly, Southside Hospital Auxiliary, Suffolk County Girl Scouts, Town of Islip Senior Advocate, and many others. Her many job duties and community service left a lasting impression on this earth.  During her life she was married to the late Marcos E. Rodriguez, the late Kenneth R. Goette, and the late John D. Hines.

Carmen was preceded in death by her mother, Sofia Negron and father Francisco Torres, her brothers Danny Negron and Samuel Negron, her sisters Olga Torres, Dolores Negron, and Nellie McGinn. Carmen left behind her sisters Petra Rivera and Mildred Mulero, brother Arthur Negron, her loving son and daughter in law, Mark and Neptune Rodriguez, grand sons Jason, Joshua, and Justin and Rachel Rodriguez, and great grand children, Amelia, Owen, Ian, and Evelyn Rodriguez.