SHAWNEE MISSION, KANSAS, U.S. — Seaboard Corp. announced on April 23 that Joseph E. Rodrigues, a long-time Seaboard director and former executive officer, died on April 22, surrounded by family at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.  

“Many of you had the good fortune of knowing Joe and you know what a remarkable man he was-in temperament, intellect and spirit. I don't have the words to describe how well he lived his life and how kindly he treated people,” Steve Bresky, Seaboard’s president and chairman said in a statement to all Seaboard employees. “He was a wonderful business resource for all of us who worked with him and more importantly, as a friend, he was a pillar we could lean on for his wisdom, his measured outlook on life and his amazing ability to make complicated issues so simple and clear.”

Rodrigues started his career with Seaboard began in 1980 when he served as managing director of Seaboard’s flour milling operations in Nigeria. In 1987, he was promoted to executive vice-president and chief financial officer of Seaboard, serving in this capacity until he retired in 2001.  He had been a member of the Seaboard board of directors since 1990. Rodrigues was instrumental in the development and growth of Seaboard’s significant overseas operations.

“Someone once said that when someone dies, it is as if a library has burned down in that all that knowledge and experience is no longer accessible. I can think of no better example of this than our dear friend Joe Rodrigues. He was such a kind, wise and thoughtful man. We have lost one of the great ones,” said Bresky.

Rodrigues is survived by his wife Isabel, his son George and extended family and friends around the globe.