Mario Ruben Rivas III

Mario Ruben Rivas, 76, of Columbia, Maryland, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family. He was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the eldest son of Ruben and Julia Rivas. The family emigrated to Washington, DC, when he was three.

He graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School in 1967 and earned a B.A. in government and politics from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) in 1971. After graduation, he was drafted and served in the U.S. Army with the 3rd Armored Division in Frankfort, Germany. He later served 11 years in the Maryland National Guard as an aeroscout, then as a behavioral science sergeant.

After completing his U.S. Army service, he earned a B.S. in special education at UMCP and taught in Howard County Public Schools before earning his MSW at the University of Maryland School of Social Work in 1983. He worked as a clinical and forensic social worker for more than thirty years.

Mario enjoyed reading, jazz, military history, traveling, and spending time with his family. An avid soccer fan, he particularly loved FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur FC.

He is survived by his wife of 28 years, Rebecca A. Bowman-Rivas; son, Miles R. Rivas (Lauren); grandchildren, Maddox and Emilia; sister, Maria R. Tana (Vincent); and brother, Edgar E. Rivas (Kathryn Pontzer), in addition to nephews, great-nieces, cousins, and friends.

At Mario’s request, we will not have a formal ceremony or repast. In lieu of flowers, we appreciate honorary donations to the American Civil Liberties Union or the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission/USA.