Funeral rites began Thursday at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez in Bayamón for former Bayamón mayor and New Progressive Party (PNP) leader Ramón Luis Rivera Rivera, who died Wednesday at age 97. The services began at 10:00 a.m. Yvonne Molina Rivera, who worked 35 years for the municipality, was the first to arrive. She told Primera Hora she came early because she is punctual and because Rivera was so committed to serving the people and his family.
She recalled that the former mayor would bring prominent politicians, including former governors Luis A. Ferré, Carlos Romero Barceló and Pedro Rosselló, to her home so her mother, Rosalina Rivera, could cook her famous ribs for them. She said there was no big problem for which he lacked a solution and that he remains in the hearts of Bayamón and all of Puerto Rico.
Ramón Sánchez Rodríguez traveled from Guaynabo to say a last goodbye to his former boss. He said he was one of the first employees of the Planning Office, an innovative initiative Rivera started as mayor in the 1980s, which secured federal funds for projects that shaped Bayamón as it is today. He called Rivera a historic figure whose administration set standards in Puerto Rico.
Rivera's cousin, Nelson Rivera Rodríguez, said it is a heavy loss for Bayamón and Puerto Rico, and that the turnout shows how much the people appreciated him.