The family of Michael Rudometkin, who died at age 40 in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Valley Transportation Authority rail yard in San Jose, said they were left devastated by the loss and are struggling to comprehend the violence that took his life.
“Michael is the first person I gave my heart to and to have it broken this way is utterly cruel,” his wife, Gloria, who spent 19 years with him, said in a statement. “I will never understand why such a wonderful and gentle person had to be taken from us in this way. I am heartbroken that I will never hear another one of his bad jokes, receive one of his great bear hugs, celebrate another joint birthday together or be able to give him a hard time about his terrible driving. It was not supposed to end this way.”
Rudometkin, a technician, was one of nine VTA workers shot to death by their colleague Samuel Cassidy on Wednesday at an agency rail yard in San Jose. Cassidy took his own life as police responded.
Rudometkin’s parents, Gary and Rose Rudometkin, said their hearts were heavy after the “ruthless, senseless massacre.” Their son was passionate about his work and his Amalgamated Transit Union local, his parents said. “He had so much life to live, and dreams and goals to accomplish,” the couple said in a statement Friday. “He has always been a wonderful loving and caring son, brother to Janelle, loving husband to Gloria, uncle, cousin and friend to so many. Anyone could call him for help and he’d be there at any hour.”
Rudometkin, who lived in Santa Cruz with Gloria, was a youth minister and pastoral council member at his church in San Jose, his parents said. “He enjoyed spending time with his wife, working on home projects, and with his fur baby dogs, Sasha and Olive,” his parents said. “Family was very important to him, and he was always a part of all of our celebrations and family functions.”
His sister Janelle Aguirre and brother-in-law Alfredo Aguirre described him as “a true gentleman with a shining smile” and said, “We are unable to process how we’re feeling and what is happening.”
Others close to Rudometkin recalled that he was happy to share his time and abundant technical skills with family, friends and neighbors.
“He was always ready to help. He was always very handy,” said San Jose City Councilmember Raul Peralez, a VTA board member whose council District 3 contains the shooting site. Peralez had known Rudometkin, who usually went by Mike, since they became friends in 7th Grade.
Rudometkin’s Santa Cruz neighbor Donna Giubbini collapsed onto her doorstep when she learned Thursday he was among the nine VTA workers shot to death by their co-worker. “This was a good, good man,” Giubbini, 60, said through tears. They had lived in homes with adjoining backyards for 10 years, she said. “He just cared about people. He went out of his way to be kind, and just the best neighbor you could ever have. I loved him. I can’t believe it. What a crappy world.”
Rudometkin bought his house from Giubbini’s brother-in-law, and spruced up the place, Giubbini said. “He just fixed his yard up so beautifully. He put up lights. Meticulous. Whatever he touched, he made it nice. I just admired him so much,” she said. “He was a bright spot in my life.”
Rudometkin would help her and their neighbors any way he could, trimming trees and in one case helping deal with a flood, Giubbini said.
Rudometkin would ride a motorcycle to work, and on Thursday five motorcycles were parked in his driveway, along with a red convertible sports car, and a black pickup truck sitting out front. “He was always in his garage tinkering,” Giubbini said.
When his wife wanted to paint their front door pink, Rudometkin had reservations but went along with it, Giubbini said. “It looks nice.”
Peralez said he and Rudometkin became tighter over the years. On the Cupertino High School football team, they played the same positions — both were receivers and defensive ends — and had their lockers next to each other. “He’s close with my family, my parents, my sister,” Peralez said Thursday. “Our combined families are really close.”
Peralez said he spent Wednesday night with Rudometkin’s wife, Gloria, and other close friends of Rudometkin’s, and on Thursday visited Rudemetkin’s parents. All were experiencing a mix of emotions similar to what he’s been feeling over the sudden loss of his friend, he said. “A big sense of disbelief, obviously a lot of heartbreak. It’s devastating. We all know at some point we’re going to go,” he said, “but to happen in this manner, nobody expects this and it’s so traumatic and violent it’s hard to comprehend.”
Peralez recalled how Rudometkin’s nature made him immune to the social divisions in high school. “He was a friend to everybody. We were trying to think of who it was that Mike didn’t get along with, and there was nobody.”
The two friends took auto-repair courses together at De Anza College in Cupertino, and Rudometkin went on to study automotive technology at Evergreen Valley College in San Jose, Peralez said. Then Rudometkin entered an automotive-skills and trouble-shooting competition and won the top prize: a job at a Ford dealership, Peralez said. Rudometkin was hired at the VTA about eight years ago after a friend who worked there suggested he apply. Rudometkin worked as a train mechanic for the light rail system, and became certified as an overhead line technician, Peralez said.
“He was just very dedicated. He took everything he did very seriously. He loved challenges,” Peralez said.
And Rudometkin was always ready to apply his skills to the vehicles of his family and friends — and sometimes even their friends, Peralez said. “I can’t count the number of times he’s worked on my car, my parents’ cars, my sister’s,” Peralez said.
His life-long friend was always up to a technical challenge, Peralez said. “He loved to do this stuff himself, whereas most people including myself would call people, even if he didn’t know how to do it, he’d try to learn.”
Rudometkin owned several motorcycles, Peralez said. “He loved motorcycle riding, but he also loved the tinkering. He loved building, taking apart bikes and building them back together.”
A skier and golfer, Rudometkin also enjoyed throwing parties with Gloria, who would choose a theme, such as lip-synch battles, Peralez recalled. “They loved hosting,” he said. “They loved socializing.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for Rudometkin’s family.