Evaristo Rivera

Evaristo was born on October 26, 1939 in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico, the eldest child of the late Adolfo Rivera Lugo and Rogelia Torres. After spending parts of his early life working in the sugar cane fields of Puerto Rico he moved to Waterbury, CT in 1964 and a few years later settled in Danbury.

Evaristo was employed as a solderer/metal finisher at Technipower Inc./Power Designs located in Commerce Park in Danbury for 35 years before retiring. He continued working on a part-time basis, first at Shoprite of Brookfield and then at Big Y of Bethel before retiring for good in 2012.

Evaristo was a generous and humble man of simple tastes who dearly loved and took great pride in his family and enjoyed the company of his many friends. He particularly loved children and always had a knack for providing light-hearted moments and creating laughter from any situation he encountered. “Chico” was a true 1-of-a-kind, a life of the party character who will be sorely missed but never forgotten by all who knew and loved him.

Besides his wife of 47 years, Nancy , Evaristo is survived by his sons: Ricardo Rivera of Danbury and Ralph J. Azzarito and wife, Valerie, of New Fairfield. His granddaughter: Kimberly Costa and husband, Michael, of Southbury. His grandsons: Christopher Azzarito and wife, Jennifer, of Blandon, PA; Michael Azzarito of New Fairfield, as well as his 3 great-granddaughters. He is also survived by his brother Adolfo Jr. and wife, Diana, of Ponce, P.R. His sisters: Eunice and husband, Jose; Irene and husband, Miguel; and Narada, all of Ponce, P.R., Carmen of Penuelas, P.R., Miriam and husband, Chuito, of Reading, PA, and Raquel and fiancé, Fernando Caban, of the Bronx, NY. Also Surviving are his many nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family. He was pre-deceased by his brother-in-law, Hector.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10am on Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 at Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury with the Rev. Jeff Couture officiating. Interment will follow in St. Peter Cemetery, Danbury. Friends will be received from 5pm - 8pm on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016 at the funeral home.

Contributions in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105 or to the American Diabetes Association, 2080 Silas Dean Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067.