Adrian Rojas

Adrian (“Drin, Uncle Drinny, Poppy”) Rojas, 80, of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully on November 3, 2025, surrounded by his loving family after a hard fought 2 year battle with cancer.

Born on September 23, 1945, in Havana, Cuba, Adrian was the beloved son of the late Adrian and Irma (née Proenza) Rojas.

Adrian came to Philadelphia from Cuba in 1958 when his father established a new life for their family. He attended St. Leo’s and Father Judge High School in Northeast Philly. He met his lifelong sweetheart in 1966 and were married in 1969. They had 3 children, Maria, Suzy, & AJ and moved from Tacony to Skippack, PA in 1983.

Adrian worked as a Service Technician for over 45 years. He was often rewarded as an exceptional employee and won trips to St. Thomas and Jamaica. He was a natural at fixing things and working with his hands. In his spare time, Adrian enjoyed golfing with his buddies. He loved doing yard work, electric biking and dancing with his wife and friends. He also loved spending time at the Jersey shore with family and friends. When Adrian was 13 years old, he met the famous entertainer, Jerry Blavat, who inspired his lifelong love of music and dance. Adrian and Joanie and their dance crew were always on the scene wherever Jerry performed. Adrian was also an avid sports fan. He always enjoyed watching the Philadelphia Phillies and Eagles. He was excited when he was able to attend the Eagles parade with his grandchildren in 2018.

Most importantly, Adrian’s pride and joy were his 4 grandchildren: Mariella, Nate, Marisa, and Lucy, and his 3 precious grand doggies, Carmel, Carly and Hansie.

Poppy was the quintessential grandfather who attended every activity they were involved in. The kids spent many weekends at Nanny and Poppy’s. Many family vacations were had annually, including trips to Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico and let’s not forget the Jersey shore. Throughout his life, he enjoyed playing cards with his family and this tradition continued on with his grandkids. We often called him “Buddy the Elf” for his over indulgence in sweets. You could always find chocolate syrup in his fridge. We also shared many laughs after he quite often and inadvertently butchered the English language. We even created a “Poppy-isms” board sharing some of his favorite, albeit incorrect, sayings. Adrian was the life of the party, cracking jokes, dancing, singing, and often hugging and kissing his loved ones. We will miss his energy, his laughter, and his overall desire to always have fun.

Adrian is survived by his wife Joan (née McDonald); children, Maria (Bill) Calderaro, Suzy (Joe) Padula, AJ (Kari) Rojas; and grandchildren, Mariella and Marisa McKaige, Nate and Lucy Padula. He is also survived by his sister Magda (Rafael) Diez.

Relatives and friends are invited to Adrian’s visitation 10:00-11:00 AM Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at St. John Neumann Parish, 380 Highland Lane, Bryn Mawr, PA, followed by his Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Adrian’s name to Abington Health Foundation/Asplundh Cancer Pavillion, PO Box 3, Abington, PA 19001, https://giving.jefferson.edu/giving-guide/hospitals/abington-jefferson-health/cancer-care-treatment.html