Sylvia Rivera Parker

Sylvia Rivera Parker, 55 of the Big Level community, passed away Friday at memorial Hospital in Gulfport following a lengthy illness. She was born April 24, 1965 in New Britain, CT, the oldest of three children to Angel Louis, Sr. and Carmen (Rosario) Rivera. She grew up between CT and MA and was an outdoor loving person that enjoyed animals, especially horses, and motorcycles. Sylvia was described as a "free bird" that loved to travel and see new places as often as possible. After high school, she went to work for the city of Springfield, working in the Peter Pan bus station for a few years. Later she worked at Costco where she did most everything, but her favorite there was building the book displays on the book table. Sylvia had a caring heart and eventually became a licensed personal care assistant. Over the years, she has worked with and help many people. She made her way to South MS in the early 2000's visiting her sister in McHenry. She liked the area and decided to stay, landing a job at Excel in Wiggins. While there, she met Johnny Parker and after dating for a while, they were married in 2005. Sylvia loved her life here in Stone county. She so enjoyed family and social gatherings, sitting around a bon-fire and listening to a wide range of music. She is remembered as a caring, loving sister and mother, a beautiful, loving wife and soul mate. Sylvia had a kind, loving spirit about her and was always a happy person. Her loving smile and personality will be fondly remembered and sadly missed by all whose life she touched. She was preceded by her mother, Carmen Larriu, and her son, Antonio "Tony" Lee Alvarez of McHenry. Left to cherish her memories are: her loving husband Johnny Parker of Big Level; her daughter Aishea Alvarez of Springfield, MA; her father Angel Louis Rivera, Sr.; her brother Louie (Gladys) Rivera of CT and her sister, Norma Weatherford of McHenry. She leaves a legacy of four grandchildren: Timothy, Samantha, Leelyn and Leilani, with numerous extended family and friends. Her final wishes were to be cremated, which her family is honoring. They will hold a memorial service for her at a later date. Trinity Funeral Services is honored to serve the Parker family in their time of need, asking everyone to keep Johnny and all family members in your prayers over the coming days.