Alice F Vigil Rivera

Alice F. Vigil Rivera, 82, a resident of Albuquerque peacefully passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2014. Alice was born in Taylor Springs, NM, (by Springer), August 8, 1932. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. Alice loved her first husband, Lawrence, who thought she was the prettiest girl he ever saw and knew she was the one he wanted to marry. For him, it was love at first sight. You can tell how pretty she was from the picture of when she was young. At their 50th wedding anniversary, he said, She is still the prettiest woman I have ever seen. I love her more every day. After Lawrence died, Alice moved to Bluewater, NM. She lived in the home she and Lawrence built and where they planned to retire. Alice loved her family, children, and grandchildren. She enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Getting together to play cards (Canasta, Spite and Malice) with family was something she missed as she got older. She also loved to watch football and was a Dallas Cowboys' fan. Her hobbies included fishing, reading, making puzzles, doing crossword puzzles, and cleaning. Her home was always immaculate. She also liked to crochet and would make Afghans for everyone. Everyone who met Alice was greeted with a smile and, most of the time, with a hug too. She loved to dance, especially jitterbug. At weddings, you would find her on the dance floor. No one would be a stranger to Alice for long because she could talk to anyone and make them feel special. She loved being a part of the golden girls with, Lee Garcia and Liz Esquibel (deceased), her friends and next door neighbors at Bluewater. Alice also loved her second husband, Joseph Eliseo Rivera and his children, Dan Rivera; Rey Rivera, wife Pat; Connie Lefebre Maier, husband Bill; and all her nieces and nephews. After the dementia made it hard for her to communicate, she still smiled and gave hugs. Everyone understood her then, everyone loved her. Alice will be missed. Alice was preceded in death by her husband of more than 50 years, J. Lawrence Vigil; and her second husband, Joseph Eliseo Rivera; her parents, Macario Medina and Alicia Amalia T. Medina; her sister, Helen Rivera; and brother, Roger Medina. She is survived by her children, Robert L. Vigil, wife Rhonda of Los Alamos; Anita L. Boggs, husband Gene of Tennessee; and Barbara A. Montoya of Albuquerque; five grandchildren, Robert I.Vigil; Jennifer Vigil, husband Brant; Katrina Sisneros, husband Fabian; Ernest David Montoya, and Richard Montoya, wife Amanda; eight great-grandchildren; brother, Joseph Ezekiel (Zeke) Medina, wife Marina of Albuquerque; her sisters, Eleanor (Nora) Hutchins, husband Gary, of San Marcos, Calif. and Maxine Qualls, of Fallbrook, California; several sister and brother-in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be on Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 6:30 PM at Risen Savior Catholic Church where the Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, November 7, 2014 at 10:00 AM. Interment will immediately follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any Alzheimer's/Dementia research facility of your choice. Arrangements entrusted to Riverside Funeral Home of Albuquerque, 225 San Mateo Blvd. NE, (505) 764-9663.