Eliel Reyes- Rivera's Obituary
Eliel Reyes-Rivera, a minister for the Congregation of Yahweh, died Friday, June 17, 2022. In his last week, he recited Psalms by memory, sang worship songs, and prayed. The old men of the Bible never retired. They prophesied and preached until Yahweh called them home. Eliel felt this, too, was his destiny.
Eliel was born on Jan. 14, 1951 in Cidra, Puerto Rico. He was one of the youngest of the 15 children raised by Jose and Dolores Reyes. He left his father’s home at 16, moved to Paterson, New Jersey, and worked. At a dinner party in Middletown, New York, a woman named Juanita served him coffee. He couldn’t have known then that the hands placing down his coffee would be the same hands he’d clutch in his hospital bed. They married in 1975 and had four children. He pastored over the congregations of Middletown, Newburgh, Tampa, and Orlando. He loved to make people laugh.
Eliel died of congestive heart failure and other complications. He is survived by his wife, Juanita Reyes; children, Eliu Reyes and his wife Kathy Reyes, Raquel Serrano and her husband Jose Serrano, Daniel Reyes, and Tana Denisse Figueroa and her husband Moises Figueroa Jr.; grandchildren; EliuDaniel Reyes, Yacob Reyes, Yenesis Serrano, and Victoria Serrano; a host of siblings, nieces, nephews, and friends.
He will be remembered at 5 pm, Thursday, and buried at 11 am, Friday, at Sunset Funeral Home & Memory Gardens, 11005 N U.S. Highway 301, Thonotosassa, Florida.
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