- Date Of Birth: April 13, 1937
- Date Of Death: October 27, 2022
- State: Florida
MY BELOVED MAMI, JUDITH STILLWELL, WENT TO REST IN THE ARMS OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH, 85 YEARS YOUNG, ON OCTOBER 27, 2022, IN DOTHAN, ALABAMA. ALTHOUGH HOSPITALIZED FOR FEELING UNWELL, HER DEATH CAME SUDDENLY, SHORTLY FOLLOWING A HOSPITAL PROCEDURE, WHICH WAS A SHOCK TO OUR FAMILY. UNTIL THAT TIME, MY MOTHER WAS A TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC, ACTIVE AND VIBRANT, WIDOWED GRANDMOTHER, LIVING AND TRAVELING WITH MY HUSBAND, CHILDREN AND I, UP UNTIL HER HEALTH DECLINE, UNDER HOSPITAL CARE. THANKS BE TO GOD, MY THREE LITTLE CHILDREN AND I, WERE AT HER SIDE PRAYING THE DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET, WHEN SHE TOOK HER LAST BREATH INTO THE ARMS OF CHRIST OUR LORD, AND I NEVER LEFT HER SIDE IN THE HOSPITAL.
MY DEAREST MOTHER WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SANTA ISABEL, PUERTO RICO, BY PARENTS MARIA RIVERA RODGRIGUEZ (D), AND CARLOS TORRES MIRANDA(D), TOGETHER WITH HER THREE BELOVED SISTERS, WILMA, ADA (D), AND MARIA LUISA (D). MY MOTHER LATER LIVED IN DIVERSE PLACES INCLUDING BABYLON, NEW YORK, AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA UPON MARRYING MY BELOVED FATHER, WHO DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT, AND BACK TO LONG ISLAND NEW YORK. LATER, MY MOTHER RETURNED TO PUERTO RICO, WHERE I ATTENDED COLLEGE AND CAME FULL CIRCLE BACK TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. MY THEN WIDOWED MOTHER, CONTINUED HER TRAVELS, ACCOMPANYING OUR LIFE JOURNEYS, LIVING WITH MY MILITARY HUSBAND AND I AND OUR 3 SMALL CHILDREN, WHOM SHE ADORED, EXPLORING EUROPE, HAWAII AND LIVING IN OTHER MILITARY DUTY STATIONS IN THE U.S. TO MY MOTHER, MY DEAREST HUSBAND WAS THE SON SHE NEVER HAD, WHOM SHE OFTEN CALLED “LUDE” LIKE A LOVING, PLAYFUL NICKNAME.
MY MOTHER IS SURVIVED BY HER ONLY DAUGHTER MARIA RIVERO-STILLWELL, HER SON IN LAW, COL LUIS R. RIVERO, HER THREE GRANDCHILDREN, JULIANA, CONRAD AND MARIA BERNADETTE RIVERO STILLWELL AND HER LAST SISTER, WILMA TORRES DE ORTEGA AND HER NIECES, NEPHEWS, AND EXTENDED FAMILY AND FRIENDS IN PUERTO RICO AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
