Ismael Rivera Jr.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Joseph Otero. Ismael is survived by his ex-wife, Nancy Rivera, son Ismael Rivera III and wife Sheila; their children Ambar, Adriana, and Abigail; daughter Milagros Rivera; her children Paola and Bryan; daughter Yvonne Juarez and husband Gerardo; their daughter Natalia; son Oliver Rivera; niece Beret Otero; and her children Maeve and Nella.

Ismael was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and moved to New York City at the age of eight. He grew up there and then went on to join the U.S. Navy in 1965 as an aviation structural mechanic. He traveled to Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Brazil, Colombia, and Hawaii, among others, during his time in the service and was onboard the USS Forrestal when the fire of 1967 occurred in the Gulf of Tonkin. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to the USS Kitty Hawk. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1969.

In 1977, he moved to Houston, TX where he worked as a jeweler - first, at Gomez Jewelry in the Kress Building, and then, at Foley’s in downtown. He began working at the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Houston in 1988 and remained there for 28 years before retiring. Ismael enjoyed listening to many types of music, playing the guitar, jewelry making and repair, camping and the outdoors, history, languages and translating, and always learning about cars and airplanes. He played the guitar at numerous public events in the Houston area and was a volunteer on the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa in Galveston.

A gathering will occur Friday, September 3, 2021 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A memorial service for Ismael will be held Friday, September 3, 2021 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A reception will occur Friday, September 3, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Galveston Historical Foundation (https://www.galvestonhistory.org/product/ghf-donation) or to the American Kidney Fund (https://www.kidneyfund.org/).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AmericanHeritageFuneralHome.com for the Rivera family.