Lucille Ott Rivers

Lucille M (Ott) Rivers, 75, of Pleasant Hill, departed this earthly life on April 29, 2023, surrounded by family and friends in her home.

Left to cherish her memory are her devoted brother, J. Frank Ott (Eva) of Pleasant Hill; daughters, Regina Rivers of Pleasant Hill, Gloria Scalese (Vincent) of Leesville, Jacqueline Singletary (Kenny) of Belmont; and numerous grandchildren, great grands, great great grands and countless nieces and nephews, and a multitude of friends.

Lucille was born on March 24, 1948, to the union of the late Thomas and Tulsa Ott in Pleasant Hill. She was the sixth child of 10 children all total. Lucille (Lucy) was an extraordinary woman who will be sorely missed by all that knew her. She would make time to listen to you and your happiness or sadness. A couple of good shoulders to cry upon, strong arms to lift you up, a soft confident voice to convey words of encouragement, and that beautiful heart-warming smile that lets you know “It’s going to be OK.”

During her senior year, Lucille began sitting with a widower’s three children. That widower was George “Jack” Rivers, Jr. In a very short time, he asked for her hand in marriage, and on her 18th birthday they stole away to Mexico to become man and wife. This union would ultimately bring two more beautiful girls into this world and a host of numerous new experiences and dreams to follow.

In those 50 years of marriage, Lucille was more than the typical mother, daughter, grandmother, aunt, or cousin. She became a business partner, bookkeeper, hot shot driver, and explorer. Lucille never stopped learning, she graduated from Pleasant Hill High School to go on to be the first person in her family to attend college in an effort to reach her dream of becoming a Registered Nurse. Upon completion of her CNA license, she began working her way up the ladder to get that final RN license. With that license in hand, an entirely different world ultimately revealed her true passion—teaching. To Lucille even being a Director of Nursing couldn’t compare to molding young minds at Louisiana Technical College Mansfield and Many Campuses through the Academics of Nursing but the actual ART of being a CNA…in that each and everyone must provide the best quality care, showing compassion and empathy, as if it were their own grandparent.

Lucille was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Tulsa Ott; husband, George W “Jack” Rivers; sons, George H and Garry Q. Rivers; brothers, T.J., Robert, Melton, Marvin, and Azell Ott; sisters, Judy A. Hippler, Lillie Youngblood, and Debra Ott; and granddaughter, Quinnlea High.

Memorial services celebrating the life of Lucille will be held on Monday, May 8, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at Spring Ridge Baptist Church, Pleasant Hill, Louisiana.