Lawrence (Larry) Joseph Rivera

Lawrence (Larry) Joseph Rivera

Larry Rivera passed away peacefully Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at his Albuquerque home.

He was born in Bernalillo, NM on August 3, 1934 to Frank and Sophie Rivera.  Larry was a resident of Belen, NM until moving to Albuquerque in 1999 and was preceded in death by his loving wife, Anna, who passed away in 1998.  He is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara and a blended family of sons, daughters and grandchildren including Bernadette and husband, Mark Day, Suzan and husband, Gary Tipton, Tony and wife, Sharon, Lori Priem, Charles and wife, Jaya Armentrout, Kimberly and husband, James Keen, Darrell and wife, Jennifer Armentrout.  Larry’s grandchildren were the apple of his eye, namely, Ana, Bobby and wife, Megan, Brendan, Haley, Brett, Nicole, Matthew, David, Delaney, Koen and Tara.   Shortly before Larry’s passing, he was blessed with the gift of a great-grandchild, Barrett Lawrence Burdock, whom he lovingly referred to as Little Lorenzo.

Larry was an amazing and devoted husband and father.  Nothing meant more to him than family.  He had a warm smile that could melt your heart and a sense of humor that will be remembered by all who knew him.   He and Barbara loved to travel and were known to pack up the RV and travel cross country for months at a time.  Their travels abroad took them to Spain and Africa amongst others.  Larry absolutely fell in love with Africa and had the thrill of his life on safari there.  The family extends sincere gratitude and appreciation to all of Larry’s friends and family for their love, prayers and support.  Special thanks goes out to his caregivers at Kindred Hospice and to his physicians and nurses at Lovelace Hospital.

Larry’s life will be celebrated at a Memorial Service on Saturday, September 16, 2017, 11:00 a.m. at FRENCH – Lomas.  In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1201 Camino de Salud NE, Albuquerque, NM 87131, cancer.unm.edu.