Ramon Rivera

Ramón Rivera Álvarez, 65 years old, died on May 12, 2024. He was born on August 31, 1958, in Las Canoas Nayarit, Mexico, to José Rivera and Hipólita Álvarez and was the seventh of fourteen children. He married María De Jesús Ramírez on December 26, 1980, in El Rosario Nayarit, Mexico.

While growing up in Las Canas, he was known for being a troublemaker at school. When he got in trouble, the teacher would send notes home with his sister to give to his mother and he would steal them so she wouldn't find out. When he received his primary school certificate, he said that a “cow ate it.” Still to this day, we don’t know if the certificate was ever found.

When he was 21 years old and visiting his aunt in El Rosario, Nayarit, he met María, who was 16 years old at the time, at a local hangout, and they married a year later. They lived in El Rosario for 3 years and then moved to Mexicali, Mexico and started a family. After 11 years in Mexico they both decided that their family needed a better life, Ramón left his family and moved to Utah, within a month, in the summer of 1994 his family joined him in St. George. He immediately found work doing landscaping maintenance and eventually landed a job in St. George City, working in the parks and maintenance department.

He loved the outdoors, it didn't matter if he was fishing, hunting or camping, as long as he was with his family and in nature, he was happy. He loved taking care of animals, especially his chickens, dogs, and his horse Sandungo. Whenever they could, Ramon and María traveled back to El Rosario, Nayarit and enjoyed spending time in the house they built together there.

In 2021 he began to have health problems and within a few months he ended up with kidney disease. In 2022, he started dialysis and patiently waited for the day a compatible kidney would be found, but that day never came. Even on his bad days, you would find him outside in the garden or spending time with his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Not a day went by when he wasn't with his family, even in his last hours he was surrounded by them.

 He is survived by his wife of 44 years María De Jesús (Ramírez); children, Yessenia Rivera (Isrrobel Núñez), Ramón Rivera Jr (Crisann), José Rivera (Jenny) and Adán Rivera; grandchildren, Jennifer (Robert), Michael, Alexander, Dominick, Reagan, Ryder, Ethan, Mia, Emilee; great-grandchildren, Alani and Brexley. He is also survived by 12 siblings and their spouses.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Ethan (grandson) and Ramón Montalvo (brother).

A viewing will be held on May 17 from 6 to 8 pm at Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George, UT 84770. Mass will be held in his honor on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 11 am at St George Catholic Church, 259 W. 200 N. St. George, UT 84770. Immediately following mass, there will be a graveside service at the Washington City Cemetery at 12:30.

We extend our love and gratitude to Dr. Mercado, Dr. León, his nurse Marcos and the entire wonderful staff at Liberty Dialysis St. George for the incredible care he received while on dialysis. We also want to thank all the doctors and nurses who cared for him during his final days in the ICU at Intermountain Healthcare.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454.

Family and friends are invited to sign Ramon’s online guest book at www.spilsburymortuary.com