Jose C. Rivera

Jose C. Rivera will be remembered as a loving and beloved husband, father, p-pa, brother, uncle, and friend. He was born on February 4, 1944, in Delano, CA, and unexpectedly passed on January 30, 2026. Joe was the sixth of seven children born to Loretto and Alberto Rivera. Joe spoke fondly of his childhood and admired the love that was instilled between each family member.

Joe graduated from Delano High School, then obtained his AA degree at Bakersfield City College. After graduation, he was drafted into the US Army, where he was stationed in Germany. During his free time, he explored other countries and was in awe that a young kid from Delano was able to see the Eiffel Tower. He was fascinated learning about established norms such as the Americano (which is a story he would tell anyone he saw drinking coffee). When returning back to the States, he settled on calling Fresno, CA, his new home. Upon moving to Fresno, he continued his education at California State University, Fresno, obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. This is where his inspirations began; his professor helped him find his niche in the market, which was getting into a field where minorities were not represented. Joe became the first Mexican financial planner in Fresno, a career that lasted almost 50 years that positively impacted numerous clients. After spending many years in Fresno, he walked into a bank one day full of women admiring him, but he only had eyes for one girl who later became his wife, Yvette.

During his childhood, Joe tried out and made the local Little League team. He didn’t have the proper shoes, but this didn’t stop him. He showed up to practice with his sister Lydia’s shoes, and although the kids laughed at him, he didn’t care—he was there for his love of the game. He continued to share this love for baseball when his grandsons, Ethan and Diego, were born. He was always watching and supporting them at their games. He loved to spend time with his grandsons and often threatened them with knuckle sandwiches. He valued spending time with his family, and his hobbies included playing and watching golf. He was an amazing and supportive father to his daughter Christina and taught her valuable lessons, including firing her for a day to show the importance of accountability.

Joe will be missed and remembered dearly by his wife Yvette; daughter Christina; son-in-law Michael; grandsons Diego and Ethan; brother Richard; sister-in-law, Diane; sister Cruzcita; brother-in-law JR; sister-in-law, Helen; and his many nephews and nieces. Joe is preceded in Heaven by his parents, Alberto and Loretto; brothers Robert, Rudy, and Willie; and sister Lydia.