Obituary: Bob Rivers, 1939-2023 

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• Courtesy
• Bob Rivers

Bob Rivers, a loving husband, devoted father, cherished grandfather and a dedicated member of the Burlington community, passed away peacefully on October 28, 2023, at the McClure Miller Respite House, at the age of 84.

Bob was born on June 10, 1939, in Burlington, Vt., to his parents, Katherine and Robert Rivers Sr. of Spruce Street. He was the brother of Michael Rivers; Kathy Libby and her husband, Paul Libby; Tom Rivers and his wife, Nancy; Mary Tilley and her partner, Sandy Boyd; and Joe, who preceded him in death, in 2015.

On December 26, 1964, Bob married the love of his life, Judy (Blanchard), and together they built a beautiful life filled with love and laughter. He was a loving husband to Judy for 59 years and served as an inspiration and role model to his three children, Chris Rivers, John Rivers and Jen Filan, and their respective partners, Kara Greenblott, Juliet McVicker and Zac Filan.

Bob’s love and warmth extended to his six adored grandchildren: Cameron; Emma and Eli Rivers; and Zoe, Ava and Grace Filan, who all brought immense joy and pride to Bob’s life. He taught them chess and played Store, Bank Robber, Toxic Dump and Christmas Bingo. Bob’s love of the inappropriate and the irreverent always brought great laughter and memories for them and all of us who were lucky enough to be there. To his six grandchildren, he was the best PopPop ever, leaving them with countless cherished memories.

As a third-generation graduate of Saint Michael’s College, in 1964, Bob joined the baseball team and had a career ERA of 14.3. Not the kind of pitching stats that earned him an abundance of family pride, but he more than made up for it as he dedicated his career to education, serving as an English teacher in the Burlington school system. His passion for teaching and, in particular, connecting with students who needed extra supports, left a lasting impact on countless young people, and his commitment to their growth was unwavering.

Outside the classroom, Bob was a devoted family man who coached his children in South Burlington athletic programs for many years and supported their love of music and the arts. He was an avid runner and tennis player, instilling a love for active lifestyles in all of his children and grandchildren. Bob loved literature and great music of all styles, from Bach to Tuba Skinny and everything in between. As a young man, he sang bass on Mills Brothers tunes with his brothers and father and was always in the audience for performances by his two sons many years later.

Bob also served as president of the Appletree South Association for decades, demonstrating his dedication to the well-being of his community. He was a selfless individual; Bob’s life was a testament to his commitment to others.

Bob’s warm heart, infectious laugh and sense of humor extended beyond his immediate family, as he was beloved by many nieces, nephews, in-laws and a wide circle of friends. His sense of humor had an extraordinary ability to bring people together. Bob will be remembered with great fondness and missed profoundly by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

A celebration of Bob’s life will be held on Tuesday, November 21, 2-4 p.m. in the Great Room at Main Street Landing in Burlington, with all of his family and friends as guests. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations to the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester, where Bob and his family received the most wonderful care possible by all the staff and volunteers in his last days.