Elias Valdez Rivera

Elias Valdez Rivera was born in Denver, Colorado on October 21, 1960 @ Lamb Memorial Hospital to Elias Acosta & Esther Isela Valdez Rivera.  Elias lived in various places throughout his childhood, but was mostly in Westminster, Colorado where he finished high school and obtained his graduation certificate from Westminster High School.  Elias began working for AT&T shortly after High School as a quality inspector and continued his employment there for the last 45 years.   

Elias was a loving, caring and generous son, brother, husband, father, grandfather & great grandfather.  He was raised in Westminster, Colorado. Elias married DeRae Mortimore on November 29,1986.  Together they made the decision to start a family and adopted 4 children, girls Gina & Stacey and boys, Jazzae & Aaron.  Elias & DeRae were married for 38 years. 

Elias developed kidney disease and began dialysis in August of 2012.  In December of 2023, while in the hospital, Elias began evaluating his life on dialysis and with many conversations with his wife DeRae, made the decision that he was going to stop his treatments when he hit the twelfth year; that was August 14th.  Hospice was brought into the home and Elias arrived peacefully in Heaven on Monday, August 19, 2024.  Elias was 63 years old. 

Elias is survived by his wife, DeRae, Children Gina, Stacy, Jazzae (Thomas), and Aaron, Mother, Esther Isela Rivera, sister, Esther Anna Rivera-Milne, two brothers, Ruben and Gabriel Rivera. He is also survived by many grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and Aunts and Uncles. 

Elias was preceded in death by his father Elias Acosta Rivera. 

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00am, Thursday, September 12, 2024, at Thrive Church, 2720 West 92nd Avenue, Federal Heights, Colorado 80260.