Diana Marie Rivera

In the company of her immediate family, Diana Marie Rivera of Redding, California, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 2nd, 2023 from a persisting illness that was diagnosed in 2012. She was 73 years old.

Diana was born February 8th, 1950 in Salinas, California, the daughter of Alfred E. Sr. and Rose Marie Cunha. She graduated from North Salinas High School in1968, and from Hartnell College in 1970. In 1974, Diana was joined in marriage in Salinas to Joseph E. Rivera of Bagley, Minnesota, a Vietnam veteran and purple heart recipient of the United States Army. She and her family moved from Salinas to Redding in 1985. Her eternal resting place is located at Northern California Veterans Cemetery in Igo. She will be next to her husband, her loving Joe, who had passed away from medical complications in August of 2022.

Diana is survived by her daughter, Dina Rose Gray (Matt) of Brooklyn, New York; her daughter, Gina Marie Johnson (Jake) of Anderson, California; her son, Joseph E. Rivera II (Lisa) of Redding, California; and her brother, Alfred E Cunha, Jr., also of Redding. She had been blessed with three grandchildren. Sophia Rose Gray was Diana’s first grandchild, followed by Joseph E. Rivera III, and then Charlotte April Rivera.

Diana loved sitting in her backyard and enjoying her morning coffee, watching movies, going to casinos to play the slot machines, scratching lottery tickets, playing the lotto, penny-ante poker, attending school functions and other activities as well that were performed by her children and grandchildren. Each year for Christmas, she loved building an elaborate display of a holiday theme decorated with lights in her front yard.

Diana loved music, especially country music, which she not only listen to, but also performed for herself, and in her younger years, for a number of audiences. When she was just a very little girl, she won the hearts of so many people in her home town of Salinas. That is when she danced the hula on stage at a theatre where she also won many contests. In addition, she was crowned as the Artichoke Queen in Castroville, California.

Diana also loved the reminiscing of years past with her family, including those conversations with her brother of growing up together. Diana’s family was the most important thing in her life. For the family, Diana was the hub of our life, and the beautiful memories of her will always live on in our hearts. She was everybody’s kind friend, a good person to all. She and her beautiful, sweet smile now and forever will be greatly missed.

A celebration-of-life services is scheduled to be held at Northern California Veterans Cemetery, Friday, December 22, 2023, which is located at 11800 Gas Point Road, Igo, CA (Shasta County). Following the completion of services, which will begin at 11:00am, will be a reception at a location and time to be announced. Lawncrest Chapel in Redding may be contacted for any questions regarding services.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.lawncrestchapel.com for the Rivera family.