Ariel Saul Rivas Rosado

On February 10th, 2023, Ariel Rivas Rosado of Linden, NJ, was called to heaven to become one of God’s angels. He is survived by his mother, Dayanara Rosado, his father, Carlos Rivas, his sister, Andrea Rivas, and his brother Andres Rivas. He so loved his family and would often speak about how he always wanted to be with them. He was exceptionally proud of his father for having accomplished becoming Linden Board of Education Board President, and recently elected as councilman of the 5th ward. He often spoke about always wanting to protect his beloved mother and make sure she always had everything she wanted. His sister carries with her so many memories of how funny and goofy her brother was. She fondly remembers him having stuffed his shirt with all the plushies in the house and running around to make her and the family smile. Ariel always wanted to make sure his family was happy, and he worked very hard to ensure their happiness.

Ariel was an energetic child who was full of life, happiness, and love. While only ten- years-old, his capacity to care about others knew no bounds. His beautiful smile would light up any room he entered. Recently, Ariel helped promote the Mayor’s Youth Commission “Dine to Donate” campaign. In the video, we see Ariel asking for donations to help support the senior class of 2023. He was a natural on camera and his smile helped the videos spread throughout the community which garnered more participants leading to the campaign’s extraordinary success. Ariel looked forward to helping in future initiatives to assist the youth of Linden. Even though these campaigns were for older kids, he felt it was important to make sure they had all the resources they needed to have a successful senior year.

Ariel was a performer at heart. While he had many passions, his first love was dancing salsa. Not only did he possess exceptional technical skills with dancing, but his passion on stage was evident to all who had the pleasure of seeing him perform. He was an active member of the dancing school "Quimbara Dance Studio." His salsa skills were exceptional, and he recently won a first-place medal at the World Salsa Summit held in Miami, Florida on January 18th, 2023. He recently was in practice to perform for the Annual Kids Hearty Breakfast at School 4. Ariel loved being on stage and would every year represent School 4 during Hispanic Heritage month. Last year, he dazzled the Linden community by performing for The Linden Board of Education and all the stakeholders in the audience and at home.

While he was a talented performer and had an eye for creativity, he also was an impressive athlete. Ariel loved playing basketball and was a member of The Linden Recreational Basketball Team. His favorite player in the NBA was Stephen Curry. He wanted to one day break the record for most 3-point shots scored by an NBA player. Ariel was a child of many talents and skills.

Ariel was a School 4 kid from his early years as a toddler. He attended School 4 from Pre-K until 5th grade. At the school, he was a member of the environmental club, Student Vanguard, and School 4’s gifted and talented program. While all these activities were passions of his, he truly loved being part of Safety Patrol. He would greet the students at School 4 every day with a smile and ensure their safe passage through the hallways. He loved Safety Patrol because he knew he was making a difference in the lives of his classmates. The staff and teachers at School 4 loved him deeply. While they may have been educating him, Ariel was enriching their lives with his love, talents, and yes, that exceptional smile of his.

Being a fully multi-faceted individual, Ariel did not only want to be a basketball player, but he also wanted to pursue law and become an attorney. Advocacy for others was a passion of his which is why he pursued so many activities at School 4 that focused on helping others.

While Ariel may have been only physically with us for ten years, he left a rich legacy of accomplishments, and love for his friends, family, and the wider Linden community. We know that Ariel will continue blessing us as an angel in heaven. His parents wish for their son to be remembered as a boy who loved life, his friends, his family, and his community deeply.

Visitation for Ariel will be held Friday, February 17, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Krowicki McCracken Funeral Home, 2124 East Saint George Ave, Linden, NJ 07036.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a funeral on Saturday, February 18, 2023, 8:30 from the funeral home. Funeral mass St. Elizabeth of Hungary Roman Catholic Church, 220 East Blancke St., Linden, 10:00 am. Interment St. Gertrude Cemetery, Colonia.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.krowickifuneralhome.com for the Rivas Rosado family.