Rivera Funeral Home team of Los Alamos and Espanola. Courtesy photo

BY AMBER POPE|
Rivera Family Funerals and Cremations

Rivera Family Funerals and Cremations has been honored to be in Los Alamos since 2019. As we move towards our dream of a larger facility in Los Alamos, our community still relies on our Espanola Rivera Chapel for various events, which has been a part of Los Alamos history since the 1940’s. We are proud to have numerous appealing updates to the historic building and are excited to show off our progress, starting with an open-house style event that is a great platform to raise awareness for a topic close to home.

Modernizing the funeral home started with the addition of our new state-of the-art crematory and continued by replacing old pews with comfortable seating, brightening and sophisticating the furniture, paint and lighting, updating a privacy room and waiting lounge, and gutting a small chapel to complete a new reception/dining hall.

To conclude the many local suicide education and prevention efforts during the month of September, we have asked the Suicide Awareness Bus and Spirit House to attend our ribbon cutting event and share their unique, moving memorial with the public on Oct 2, 2026 from 5:30 -7:00 pm at 305 Calle Salazar, Espanola, NM 87532.

While every person’s passing is a chance for us to gratefully serve others, we experience intense compassion during a preventable or early loss. It is our duty to support everyone in living a full and long life. While suicide, addiction, and mental health are heavy topics, we believe we can supply education and joy through gathering.

Please join us to tour our facility, light a candle in honor of a passed loved-one, and learn more about our industry. There will be music, food, generous raffle prizes and Los Alamos’ own Flowers by Gillian providing the gift of fresh flowers while they last.

Rivera’s is grateful to our Los Alamos cemetery employees, first responders, nurses,
doctors, faith groups, hospice and home healthcare workers, our local newspapers for offering free and prompt obituary services, florist, grief support groups and counselors, and everyone involved in older adult/social services and so on. We live and work in an extraordinary community.

“Show me the manner in which a nation or a community cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender sympathies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land and their loyalty to high ideals.” – William Ewart Gladstone