Joaquin "Juaco" Rivera-Martinez Sr.

Born on Saturday, August 28, 1937, in La Plata, Aibonito, Puerto Rico, to the late Angel Rivera and Rosa Martinez Rivera.

Joaquin was part of the Silent Generation, born during a time when Franklin D. Roosevelt served as the 32nd President of the United States. He worked for many years at Lucent Technologies, where he eventually retired. A man of deep faith, he was a member of "Iglesia Evangelical Luz Verdadera", the Spanish Mennonite church on Franklin Street in Reading.

He had a great love for music and would often play the harmonica while his daughter sang along. Joaquin was also a skilled woodworker, carving and creating handmade signs with meaningful sayings. In earlier years, he loved tending to his garden, growing vegetables like tomatoes and lettuce. His children remember helping pick produce from the backyard for dinner salads. Joaquin was an avid Los Angeles Dodgers fan and enjoyed watching their games on TV. He also liked playing the Pennsylvania lottery, always playing the same two numbers: 582 and 165.

Because many people struggled to pronounce his name, he was affectionately known as “Juaco” to family and friends, and “Jack” to his coworkers.

Joaquin’s life was marked by both joy and hardship. In January 1972, his first wife, Ana Maria Rolon Rivera, passed away, leaving him with seven children—four daughters and three sons. Just months later, in June 1972, he lost his home during the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Agnes, one of the most destructive storms in Pennsylvania history.

Later, he met his second wife, Carmen Lydia Ortiz Rivera, who had three children of her own—two boys and a girl. Together, Joaquin and Carmen had four more children: one daughter and three sons. In total, he helped raise fourteen children under one roof. Joaquin believed that family was true wealth. He worked hard to provide for his large family and was known as a humorous, hardworking father who instilled practical values—like turning off lights and conserving water.

In addition to his parents, Joaquin was preceded in death by his first wife, Ana Maria Rolon Rivera, in 1972; his second wife, Carmen Lydia Ortiz Rivera, in 2022; his son, Jose Angel Santos, in 1998; his brother, Angel Luis Martinez Rivera (Mabel), in 2015; and his sisters, Rosa M. Martinez Rivera in 2016 and Ana Lydia Rivera “Adalina” (Nino Ramos) in 2022.

He is survived by his children of his first marriage: sons David Rivera of Lebanon, Jacob Ray Rivera of Reading, and Joaquin Rivera Jr. of Lebanon; and daughters Ana Rosa Rivera of Reading, Maria Elena Rivera Aponte and (Luis) of Lebanon, Amelia Ana Rivera Belfield and (Kahlil) of Allentown, and AnaMaria Rolon Rivera (partner Daniel Vargas) of Reading.

From his second marriage, he is survived by: sons Edwin Ortiz of Bernville, Samuel Rivera of Reading, and Angel Luis Rivera (Evelyn) of Temple, as well as his daughter Sara Ortiz of Sinking Spring.

Joaquin is also survived by the children he helped raise with Carmen: Oscar Santos (Alice) of Sinking Spring, and Lydia Esther Ortiz of Bloomsburg.

Joaquin leaves behind a remarkable legacy that includes 62 grandchildren and 78 great-grandchildren.

He is also survived by his siblings: sister Noemi Martinez Rivera of Allentown, sister Migdalia Rivera (Emilio Montañez) of Harrisburg, brother Esteban Martinez Rivera of Puerto Rico, and brother Moises Martinez Rivera of Reading. He was also predeceased by Esteban’s wife Nayda and Moises’s wife Benita.

A favorite quote that reflects Joaquin’s values reads: “The folder of information you create will be a gift to those who love you most, at one of the most difficult times of their lives.” — Make a will today.

Papi, Dad—you will be missed. Thank you for being our father and for doing the best you could for all of us. Until we meet again in another life. Te queremos mucho.

A viewing for Joaquin will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Theo C. Auman Inc., 247 Penn Street, Reading, PA 19601. Funeral service will promptly commence in the funeral home at 11:00 AM. Graveside committal will immediately follow at Forest Hills Memorial Park, 390 West Neversink Road, Reading, PA 19606.