William C. Rivera

William Cordova Rivera
May 18, 1928 - March 22, 2023

The first child of Pedro Salazar Rivera and Rita Cordova Rivera, William Cordova Rivera lived a rich life full of love, family, community, service and hard work, all guided by his strong faith in God. We will miss him forever. Bill Rivera attended Los Angeles City College, where he was the first Mexican American to become editor of the school newspaper, The Collegian. There, he met the love of his life, Patricia Eileen Donnelly, who strode into the newsroom in a yellow dress and saddle shoes, looking to join the staff. On her way out, Pat ruffled Bill's curly hair, barely contained in a 1950's pompadour, and he fell hard. They broke up briefly over a byline on a story – editor Bill didn't think cub reporter Pat had put in enough work to deserve one. Luckily for the seven children that eventually followed, the two made up. Bill built a trailblazing career in public relations and education, starting as a publicist for L.A.'s Hollywood Stars minor league baseball team while freelancing as a sports reporter and photographer for San Fernando Valley newspapers. Bill joined the Los Angeles Unified School District as a public information officer, rising to Communications Director and Superintendent Special Assistant, interrupted for a few years serving Cardinal Roger Mahony and the Los Angeles Archdiocese as Communications Director and editor of The Tidings newspaper. It was an amazing journey for a boy who started school speaking no English, although he could read and write Spanish. The children were punished if caught speaking Spanish. One punishment he remembered vividly was being made to stay after school and fill buckets with rocks from a schoolyard that "seemed to grow rocks," Bill wrote in a short story "Gonzalez and Sons," that drew from those memories, published in American Education magazine in June 1975. He grew up on Deering Street in a rural stretch of what is now Canoga Park, in a tight-knit colony of about 10 families from Mexico, where everyone called him "Willie." The young Rivera family was soon joined by a second son, Ramon, and by Rita's brother, Angel, who was Willie's age. Petra and Lucio Cruz ran a small store that had the street's only electric light, so everyone hung out there. The Rivera boys called them Mama Petra and Titata, and they were the boys' surrogate grandparents. That's because soon after the families arrived in the early years of the 20th Century, Pedro's mother left his father with three young boys to raise. The Cruzes took the four into their home and raised the boys to adulthood. Tragedy struck when Willie was 6. His mother died not long after giving birth to a baby girl, Dorothy, who also died. Again, Petra and Lucio took the Rivera boys into their home, along with Angel Cordova. From here, we'll let Bill tell the story, drawn from his "rambling thoughts" given to a reporter writing a profile that appeared in La Opinion and The Tidings: "It was these two giving people who ingrained in my brother and me the belief of caring for others, in giving of yourself with no thought of reward, in reaching out to those about us. It wasn't anything they said, it was how they lived their life, and is something that I have tried to emulate in my personal, professional and faith life… Our home was a happy and busy one. Mama Petra always had a full dinner table, in addition to the five of us. They were relatives, friends down on their luck, homeless – it didn't matter. There were always beans, tortillas, rice and cocido available." Petra and Lucio Cruz were devout Christians, who raised the boys in the Foursquare Gospel Church. Marriage to Pat brought Bill back to the Catholic Church, and they were active members of neighboring Divine Saviour or St. Bernard's parishes (depending on which pastor Pat wasn't mad at, or so the family joke goes). Pat and Bill taught catechism and confirmation classes and served on several committees at the archdiocesan level. They were active in the Marriage Encounter movement, where they made many dear friends. In 1997, Bill was honored at a black-tie Cardinal's Award gala, given to raise money for the poor and to celebrate people who have served the archdiocese's community. "I have tried to live my life by two precepts: Caring for others and giving of myself to others (some would say I am a soft touch); treating others as I would like them to treat me," Bill wrote. During more than 50 years at the LAUSD, Bill worked for 13 superintendents, spearheading "behind-the-scenes efforts that led to the implementation of equal opportunities enabling minority people to advance and be promoted to administrative levels, as well as in development of programs to assist economically disadvantaged students." Bill was justifiably proud of another behind-the-scenes accomplishment: the creation of the LAUSD All-City Marching Band in 1973 so that the district could deliver a band at the Pasadena Rose Parade that represented all students. Bill was happy to let others take the credit for his brainchild, which wouldn't exist without the funding he was able to mine from the district's budget. Bill retired from his last gig in 2020, at 92, as a board member of Opportunities for Education charter schools. Bill was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; his brother, retired Deacon Ramon Rivera; oldest son, Matthew; and daughter-in-law, Ellen Potter Rivera. He is survived by children Robert (Katie Sauceda), Nancy (Jim Brooks), Katja (Robert Estes), John (Kate Shatzkin), Peter (Kelley Martel Rivera), Andrew (Angela Wall). Also, grandchildren Jennifer (Jeremy), Ryan (Nicole), Jaclyn (Troy), Lynn, Hannah (Dan), Lena, Caitlin (Ryan), Will, Morgan (Dylan), Cord, Ingrid (David), Leah, Frances (Solo) and Sam. Also, great-grandchildren Natalie, Evelyn, Jasmin, Logan, Leo, Emilia, Joaquin, Ximena and Eleanor. And sisters-in-law Josie Juarez Rivera; Patricia Donnelly and Joan Donnelly; many nieces and nephews, their children and grandchildren. With special thanks to Pachica Dilag, Arcely Beltran, Maria Eva Hernandez, Julieta Ramirez and Angelica Bolivar for taking such good care of Bill. The family has requested that memorial contributions be directed to St. Bernard Catholic Church, 2515 W. Ave 33, Los Angeles, CA 90065-2863 (the parish office address) and Homeboy Industries (homeboyindustries.org).