Salvador Rivera was born on Christmas Day, 1929, at the family home in Farr, Colorado. He was one of nine children born to Aaron and Cora Rivera. He graduated high school at 15, and went to work in the steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado. He shared a room at the YMCA with 3 other young men who, by working opposite shifts guaranteed that one only had to sleep on the floor every other day.
He joined the Army, and was later transferred to the Air Force, where he was an Air Traffic Controller stationed in Alaska. Returning to Walsenburg, Colorado he married Frances Martinez, with whom he created four pretty wonderful kids. Christine, Thomas (who died in 1978), Francine and Nadine. The family moved to Denver, Colorado when he became a Police Officer with the Denver Police Department.
Salvador loved hiking, hunting, fishing, camping and gardening. He was known as the Zucchini Man in his Northglenn neighborhood, for sharing his bounty every summer. He loved sharing his home with everybody, friends and family alike. Many cousins lived in the house over the years, while attending school or looking for other housing, or just spending a few weeks over the summer.
He adored his grandchildren: Tommi, Christopher, Benjamin, Duncan, Rachel, Lora and Danny. He had 8 great-grandchildren as well: Madison, Sahara, Alex, Silas, Jude, Matthew, Sebastian, and William.
He had a wonderful life. He was grateful for everything. He was still amazed that he had hot running water right in his house, and delighted in every shower. He never had a bad day, though he admitted that some were better than others.
His life had its challenges, but with strength and generosity and integrity to guide him, there was nothing he regretted. The only question he had about all his time on this earth was whether he had made his wife, his “Heartsweet", his “Francen", truly happy. We assured him that he had.
Fond memories of Salvador and expressions of sympathy for his family may be shared at the guest book below.
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