Celebration of Life for Dra. Rebeca Torres Rivera
A Celebration of Life took place on Thursday, November 11, 2021, at 6 p.m. at Pearce Hall 127 on the Central Michigan University campus
(Zoom recording will be available soon)
Dra. Rebeca Torres-Rivera was born in Valparaíso, Chile on December 31, 1931. A lifelong academic, Dra. Torres-Rivera received degrees from La Escuela Normal No. 2 (B.A. in Elementary Education, 1950), Universidad Técnica del Estado de Chile (B.A. in Spanish Literature and Languages, 1966), the University of Nebraska with Fulbright Scholarship (M.A. in Spanish, 1970), and the University of California Riverside (Ph.D. in Latin American Literature and Culture and Stylistics, 1983).
Her love of learning inspired Dra. Torres Rivera’s 50-year long teaching career. During her tenure at Central Michigan University, she served as an advisor for Sigma Delta Pi Honor Society, received the 1994 Excellence in Teaching Award, and served as Grand Marshall for the 2004 Commencement Ceremony at CMU. Upon retirement, she was awarded the honor of Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of World Languages and Cultures.
In addition to her academic success, Rebeca was a talented singer, artist, and writer. However, her greatest joy came from caring for beloved family, friends, and cats.
Rebeca was preceded in death by her parents Mario Enrique Valdes Barrera and Camila Tapia Aracena; and son, Vincente Torres Rivera. She is survived by her daughter Camila Torres Rivera (Bertrand) from Riverside, California; and grandson Thomas Bertrand of Tempe, Arizona.
