Louis Rivera passed away peacefully at 2:05 PM on Sunday 15 January 2017 at Maple Grove in Ashburn VA.  He was surrounded by his wife, his sons and their wives at the end.  He will be remembered as the epitome of strength,  courage  and honor—an example to everyone of how to quietly love completely—his country, his family and his friends.

He was born in New York, NY on 22 Nov 1929 to Louis Lorenzo Rivera and the former Milagros Soto of Puerto Rico.  He proudly served in the New York Army National Guard's Company L, 71st Infantry  from 1948 to 1952, then in the US Army's 82 ^nd Airborne Division 1952 to 24 Jan 1954  as a corporal, and upon discharge from the active Army, he returned to the National Guard from 1954-1956, where he attained the rank of Master Sergeant.

He married the love of his life, Josephine Cruz after a seven-year courtship in August 1955.  He loved her with all his heart and soul.  Our Dad referred to marriage as " a commitment—I said for better or for worse and I meant it."  He was Josephine's companion and her shield, protecting and caring for her for over 61 years before he passed away from this life.

A talented artist all his life, he took a job as a Technical Illustrator for Bell Telephone in Winston Salem NC 1959- 1963.  His next opportunity came as a Graphic Illustrator, for Douglas Aircraft, in Charlotte, NC from 1963-1967.

Crowning his professional life, he accepted a position with the Central Intelligence Agency in 1967 as a graphic artist but found his niche as a Photo Interpreter / Imagery Analyst, at CIA's National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC), in Washington DC for 27 years.  A Cold War analyst, he specialized in satellite photographic interpretation on the former Soviet Union.  He retired from the government in 1994 after over 30 years combined federal service.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Josephine Rivera, his two sons, Robert M Rivera born 1957 and Richard Carlos Rivera born 1961, their wives, Diane Flinn Rivera and Debbie Elaine Rivera and four Grandchildren: Christopher Robert Rivera, Patrick Matthew Rivera, Christina Rosemary Rivera and Rebecca Jean Rivera.

The family will receive guests at the Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg VA on Monday 23 January 2017 from 6-8pm and at a brief prayer service on Tuesday 24 January 2017 at 11AM prior to a gravesite service at the Quantico National Cemetery at 1pm on 24 January 2017.