Pablo Rivera

Pablo Rivera, 76, of Clarksville TN passed away on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at Tennova Healthcare.
A memorial service will be held on December 26, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. It will be held at his home church, Iglesia Conversion - Mateo 28, located at 428 Lafayette Rd. Clarksville, TN 37042.

Pablo was a man of God, a beloved son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and the best of a friend. Pablo came to life on January 26, 1944. He was born in his beloved island of Puerto Rico, in the city of Caguas to the late Ramón Rivera and Providencia Santana. He moved from Puerto Rico to New York in his early adulthood and after retiring he moved to Clarksville, TN in the mid-2000s to reunite with his immediate family.

He was a loving brother to his sisters Carmen, Cecilia and María Socorro Rivera. Pablo was a devoted husband to his wife Violeta Rivera, who was also his first wife. On December 12, 2010 after more than 30 years of divorce, they remarried. He was a loving and proud father to Pablo Rivera and Iris Rivera who were the light in his eyes. He was a father figure to his son-in-law Juan Lozada. He was a loving and supportive grandfather to his grandchildren Valerie Lai and her husband Rafael Ortiz, Stephanie and Alberto Lozada, Christopher and Derek Johnson, Luis and Pablo Zapf. He was the most loving, dedicated and supportive great-grandfather with his great-grandchildren Valeria, Andrés and Nelson Ortiz, Eli Johnson, and Luis Zapf Jr. who in the last years of his life were his pride and joy. He was also a tremendous father to his dog Buster. He is survived by all those named above.

Pablo was a man full of life, love and light. He impressed and left his mark on everything he did and on everyone he met, and that is why his footprints will remain on all of us. He was always ready to listen and after listening he had a word of encouragement, an advice, or just a word of comfort. He was a member of the Conversion Mateo 28 Church, he enjoyed every minute of his Sunday service with his church family, but what he enjoyed the most was serving and talking to his God. He also enjoyed handing out his favorite candy to the kids after the service and even some adult kids. He lived a full life and his last 15 years were his greatest blessing, he was able to see his family come together, celebrate together and watch them grow physically, mentally and spiritually. His favorite hobbies were watching sports, primarily baseball (GO YANKEES!). He enjoyed supporting and being present for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their school and sporting events. He truly enjoyed cooking, he was a really good cook and he was also famous for making his delicious Puerto Rican Dishes such as: Pasteles, Flans and his very own Sofrito which is a basic Latin food preparations/seasoning. He enjoyed connecting with his people and meeting others. He was truly one of a kind, the saying "You serve God by serving others" is genuinely who he was. He was a charming, persevering, strong, positive, generous, wise, funny, talented, brave, brilliant and independent, man and there’s aren’t enough world to truly describe how amazing he was. Although his wings were ready our hearts were not. He is and will be greatly missed, but we know that he rejoices in the presence of God.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, in the shadow of the Almighty will rest. I will say of the LORD:" He is my refuge and my strength, my God, in whom I trust. "Certainly he will save you from the trap of the hunter and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and bulwark. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that lurks in the darkness, nor Plague that destroys at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. Just look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, "The LORD is my refuge," and you make the Most High your dwelling place, no evil will overtake you, no disaster will approach your tent. His angels will command over you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not stumble your foot against a stone. On the lion and the cobra you will tread, you will trample the great lion and the serpent. "Because he loves me," says the S LORD, "I rescue him; I'm going to protect him, by recognizing my name. He will call me and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. I will satisfy him with long life and show him my salvation. "Psalm 91

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