For more than five years, since I started this blog, I have dedicated myself to informing you about immigration matters. But on this occasion, I feel the need to share with all of you, my faithful readers, the loss of my father.
Juan Tomás Rivas Quijada, former teacher and principal of the Tepecoyo School Center, El Salvador passed away on August 11, 2015 in Aldie, Virginia following a stroke. He was 83 years old.
Son of Rufino Rivas Calzada and Lucia Quijada Henríquez, Juan was born on December 29, 1931 in Cantón Las Moras, Colón, El Salvador where he also grew up.
His mother taught him to read at the age of 5. But after being orphaned at an early age, he was raised by his godmother, Carmen de Zometa, a teacher who motivated him to study and become an educator.
Juan graduated from Escuela Normal Alberto Masferrer. He worked as a teacher in several public and private educational centers, including Liceo Salvadoreño, Liceo Cervantes, Colegio Don Bosco, Colegio Santa Cecilia, Colegio Externado de San José, Colegio Champagnat, Centro Escolar Cantón San Pedro Rio Seco in the Department of Morazán and Instituto Nacional Walter Thilo Deininger in Cojutepeque.
For approximately 23 years, he worked as a teacher and later, director of the Centro Escolar de Tepecoyo.
Juan retired in 1998 after a 40-year career dedicated to the education and training of children, youth and adults. Even after retirement, Juan always retained his passion for learning new things every day, and his passion for reading stayed with him until the last years of his life.
During his lifetime, Juan is survived by his wife Maria Graciela Escamilla Gallegos and his children Maria Concepcion Orellana and Santos Armando Rivas Escamilla.
He is survived by his children Milton Gilmar Rivas Flores, Dr. Nelson A. Rivas Castillo, Rafael Antonio Rivas Escamilla, Graciela del Rocio Rivas Escamilla, and Sonia Carolina Rivas de Gomez and his grandchildren Rodrigo, Andrea, Nelson Rafael, Lucia Graciela, Kilmar Alejandro, Rogelio Miguel, Marlon Ademir, Jose Ernesto, Claudia Diana, Melissa Carolina, Victor Yazir, Fatima Marcela, Elvis Enmanuel, Emanuel Armando, Graciela Elizabeth and Diego Alonzo. He is remembered with special appreciation by Victor Manuel Estevez, who sheltered Juan in the home he shared with his daughter Rocio during the last years of his life, and Sandra Gil de Rivas, Veronica Villafañe, Gloria Castro-Castillo, Maria Olimpia Lopez Bonilla, Dominga Escamilla Escalante and Elvis Saul Gomez.
John will be veiled on Saturday, August 15, 2015 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Herndon, 681 Elden Street, Herndon, VA 20170.
Condolences may be sent by e-mail to info@castilloimmigration.com, or by regular mail to Dr. Nelson A. Rivas Castillo, 1605 W. Olympic Blvd. Olympic Blvd, Suite 1013, Los Angeles, CA 90015.
