Lynn O'Brian Rivers

May 07, 1932 - February 18, 2022

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Obituary For Lynn O'Brian Rivers

Lynn O’Brian Rivers, 89, of Jacksonville, NC, passed into eternity on Friday, February 18th, 2022, surrounded by his family at home.

He was born in Athens, GA, on May 7th, 1932, to William Malloy Rivers and Laura Pearl Jackson. One year after graduating high school, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps, where he served 20 years, including 2 tours in the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged in 1971 as a Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt).

While stationed at the embassy in Cyprus in 1960, he met and married our mother, a beautiful Spanish flamenco dancer who happened to be touring there with her dance group. They were stationed in California shortly thereafter, where they began their family. They were married for 61 years before she passed away.

Daddy especially enjoyed taking his family fishing, beach and mountain camping, talking to them about his childhood adventures, and world history. He imparted a marvelous sense of wonder about the world to his children. He made sure his little recruits acquired many important life skills in order to prepare them for adulthood. Some of our favorite memories with Daddy are lessons on survival skills in the forest, shooting a rifle, bow and arrow construction, crafting and flying kites, bicycle riding, driving a stick-shift, managing finances, appreciating nature, playing, laughing, and tumbling around with us as children, reading to us from Luke chapter 2 every Christmas, as well as his great sense of humor. We loved laughing with him anytime we got together. He also loved ships and boats, reading the paper, Sunday comics, completing crossword puzzles and cryptographs.

Remaining to cherish Daddy’s memory are his four children, Amelia Avila (Horace Avila), William Rivers (Brenda Rivers), Ann Rivers (David Schmidt), Frank Rivers; His brother Andy Rivers (Mary Ellen Rivers); eight grandchildren, Angela Samotis, Isaac Avila (Miranda Avila), Elizabeth Pool (Jon Pool), Anita Barefoot (Bartley Barefoot), Clarissa Furrow (Andy Furrow), Elena Avila, Olivia Coats (Daniel Coats), Gloria Avila; twelve great-grandchildren, Marissa, Veronica, Isabella, and Gideon Samotis, Eve, Max, and Esmè Pool, Lilyana and Koby Barefoot, Eliza and John Liam Furrow, and Rosalia Avila.”

Preceding in death are his beloved wife, Purificación Rivers (De Anonio); his parents, William M. Rivers and Laura Pearl Rivers (Jackson); and his siblings, Billy, Rudy, Layton, Faye, and Pat.

Visitation and graveside services will be private.

Much gratitude to Cardinal Hospice services for their kind and caring service for both of our parents. In Lieu of flowers, please send donations to Cardinal Hospice Care by visiting this link: https://cardinalhospicecare.com/donations/

Many thanks to Johnson’s Funeral Home for graciously serving our family during this difficult time of grief.

Online condolences may be made by clicking the "Share A Memory" tab.

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Condolences

  • February 24, 2022

    Thank for serving our beautiful country in the Marine Corps. May you be at peace walking the golden streets of heaven. May God be with your loved ones left to cherish your memory. May they know You are never ever far from them and always in their hearts and when they miss you the most all they have to do is look up to the sky at night and you will be a bright shining star looking over them. Semper Fi Master Gunnery Sergeant Rivers ♥️🇺🇸 Semper Fi. T~, Jake and Luckie

  • February 23, 2022

    Oh Daddy, how will we ever live without you!? I just cannot wrap my head around the fact that you are gone now. I am comforted in knowing that you are with Jesus, but my heart is still so broken. I cherish the memories you left us with. You did such a great Job with your children. You imparted in each one of us a love for lifelong, autodidactic learning, confidence to try anything we set our minds to do. You encouraged us to be independent and strong, to never give up, but to keep trying when we didn't succeed at first. You told us all tales and made us laugh so much. I am so very blessed and grateful that you were my father.

  • February 23, 2022

    My dear great Daddy is with my Mamma now. They'll be together to love each other forever. An immense loss for our family. I will miss hugging his thick, marine neck, listening to his stories about his family and his military career, laughing at his daddy jokes, eggs grits and biscuits in the morning, playing poker and parcheesi with the family, explaining the world because he knew so much, his gentle way to deal with and guide us through our problems, watching him repair things (because he knew how to repair just about everything), getting him his newspaper, and mostly having a role model to help guide my own life. I knew this day was coming, but I'll never be able to adjust to his absence. I have his memories and that is what Ill look to when I need him. Love you Daddy forever😥💔- Ann Rivers

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