Alejandro Rivera

Alejandro (Alejo) Rivera-Hernandez was born May 12, 1928 in Moca Puerto Rico. His parents Lorenzo & Aurelia Rivera had a finca and at the young age of 10, his job was to care for the all the horses and to also fill 100-pound bags of coffee beans which he took to the market, two on each side of a horse and rode a grueling 2-hour ride each way, several times a week. It was at the market that he developed his excellent negotiating skills, and it was not uncommon for Alejo to return from the market with an incredibly young stallion. When he was not working on the finca, you could find him playing with his younger siblings. Alejo was a poet and song writer, he loved singing and visiting friends at the local hangout. It was at the local hangout that he met his future father-in-law, Marcos Rivera, who invited him over to his home, where he met his future wife Juana Rivera (deceased 2004). At the age of 22, with a small suitcase in hand and a blessing from his mother, lots of tears and hugs from his siblings and his future bride, he left for New York in 1952. He worked tirelessly for 1 year and in 1953 returned to Puerto Rico to marry Juana. They returned to the States and moved from New York to Bridgeport, CT. where they had 5 children. He was an avid learner, with a love for discussing all things history, politics and religion. He earned his GED in 1965, by studying alongside his son Samuel, who was in 2nd grade at the time, and they would read together, earning his GED at the age of 37. He worked at Sikorsky Aircraft as a maintenance machinist up until he retired in 1991. Because of his fierce love of learning, it comes as no surprise that his favorite TV shows were Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, he would laugh as we would try to guess the answers. He was an unstoppable force when it came to trivia because of these shows! Dads favorite time of the year was Las Navidades, he looked forward to my mom’s traditional holiday cooking, especially her pasteles and pernil. He enjoyed taking part in las parranda and sharing the spirit of La Navidades by taking the parandas from house to house. His voice would be hoarse from all the singing! Dad’s idea of a vacation was a staycation, he loved to hang out at the house, working on home projects, reading newspapers, sitting on the porch overlooking the neighborhood. He loved long Sunday drives with Juana and his children through Beardsley and Seaside Parks, with a stop at Dairy Queen for an ice cream. Dad was a wonderful gardener, and he could grow anything, his vegetable garden overflowed with tomatoes and peppers of every kind. Visitors would leave with bags filled to the top from his garden. He loved feeding his pigeons and took care of the neighborhood cats. He loved when family visited, most especially when his brothers and extended family stopped by, they would play dominos and the house was filled with laughter. When his brother Luis pulled out his accordion, they would all sing Jibaro songs and songs that he composed. It was an all-out concert! He was a great storyteller and had a wonderful sense of humor, he loved telling jokes and playing practical jokes with his grandchildren, he loved seeing them laugh. Dad was a dependable rock-solid man with a vibrant personality, he had a big, beautiful smile and a deep wonderful laugh. Alejandro leaves behind to cherish his memory his loving children Miriam, Aida, Samuel (Melba), Mary, and David (Leticia), his adoring grandchildren Justin (Roberto) , Kevin (Mika), Dominique (Graham), Devon, Patrick (Shannon), Christine, Daniel (Shannon), Adrieanne, Ian, Aaron and Jacob, his cherished great grandchildren Seneca, Irie, Xaviar, Aailyah, Charlotte, Ovelia, Samael, Harlee, Gabriel, Aubrey and Alice and his granddoggies Roxie and Gypsy, his siblings Carmen, Luis, Angel and Lucy and a host of friends and relatives. Aside from his parents he is predeceased by his son-in-law Richard Camacho and siblings Ramona, Francisca, Jovita, Gabriel, Angelito and Ismael. Our Dad leaves another empty place in our hearts. We will miss receiving his bendiciones after every call and visit. We wish we had more time. We love you. Until we meet again. Due to COVID 19 guidelines set forth by the Governor of the State of Connecticut, many restrictions have been implemented by the funeral home under the guidance the State of Connecticut Department of Health, for the health and wellbeing of the General Public strictly limit the number of persons permitted inside the facility of the funeral home at the time of the viewing. The family has provided the hours of 10-12 PM (whatever date they confirm) at the Funeraria Luz de Paz, 426 East Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06608 with an immediate departure to Lakeview Cemetery where the final committal ceremony will take place. Please know we understand the number of persons who appreciated Alejandro, ask that you consider watching his viewing and Committal service live via our website.