Mary Ellen Rivera

Mary Ellen Rivera (Galvan) passed away on January 13, 2022, after a sudden downturn in health. Mary Ellen was born in Whittier, California to Raymond and Lucia (Ponce) Galvan on February 20, 1941. My mother came from a large Roman Catholic family and my father was from a large Protestant family and they met at a Catholic dance. Some people have said my father was a poacher, but I look at it as being at the right place at the right time. My mother played hard to get by not giving out her phone number to my father. She used to tell me “That if a man likes you, he will have no rest until he finds you again.” So, lets fast forward to about six months later they ran into each other and after three months of dating they were married for thirty-eight years until my father passed away in 2002. Both of my parents were determined, resilient and hardworking people that instilled these qualities in me and my siblings. In my mother’s later years, she loved going on senior trips, shopping for shoes and handbags, going to the movies and spending time with her family. Mary Ellen leaves behind two daughters Lisa and Barbara (Arthur) Andrews a son David and two grandchildren Benjamin Jacob and Ava Rose. Momma, we all miss and love you forever!! XX00