Carol Morales Rivera

Carol Morales Rivera was born on 21 March 1968 in San German, Puerto Rico to Brunilda Madera Morales and José “Lico” Morales. At a young age, her family moved to New York City and eventually made their way to New Britain, Connecticut, where she would spend the vast majority of her life. She was vibrant, silly, extroverted, and inquisitive, and was inseparable from her little sister.

Other than her son, there was no one closer to her than her mother, father, and sister. Even as an adult, she remained inseparable from her mother, and the two would eventually live in the same nursing home later in their lives.

She was proudly Puerto Rican. Spanish was her first language. She was bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English. She loved returning home to Puerto Rico with a passion.

A devout Catholic, she was the director of St. Mary’s Church choir for almost 20 years. Music played a very big part in her life. She was a guitarist and a beautiful singer, performing religious music in Spanish at church as well as Puerto Rican songs with the Puerto Rican society in her city. Her go-to song to sing was “Borinquén Lloras”.

She met her former husband, Alfred, through the church, and they married in 1994. Even after experiencing multiple miscarriages and suffering greatly, she never gave up, and eventually brought her only son, AJ, into the world in 1997, whom she dubbed her “miracle baby.”

She was a wonderful mother who, without a second thought, would give up everything for her son. She spoiled him rotten, defended him even when he misbehaved, and was constantly worrying that something might happen to him. The worrying of a mother was ultimately how deeply she loved and cared about her only son.

While she only gave birth to one child, she had many adopted sons. Her son’s childhood friends who did not have good homes or were going through difficult times knew they could eat or stay at her house. She never turned them away and would feed, clothe, and love them as if they were her own.

She was a banker at Bank of America for many years and was very good at it. She was very intelligent and later became a paralegal. She also helped run the family business, Rivera Jewelry, until about 2010. Eventually, due to various disabilities, she stopped working, but continued to be a supportive mother and housewife.

She was kind, sweet, generous, and giving. She was truly generous to a fault. She was always there for people, constantly wanting to help others and often overextending herself. At times she was underappreciated and misunderstood by others, but she never stopped giving love.

She was vibrant, extroverted, funny, and sometimes loud. When she walked into a room, she would say hello and hug everybody. She talked to everyone, made jokes, and was always the person who got people dancing.

She loved music, dancing, Christmas, perfumes,especially Versace Bright Crystal, watching Telemundo, and spending time with her mother and her son. She was also a state champion bowler. She made a great pollo guisado and would make pancakes for her family. She loved Disney World, but nowhere as much as she loved going home to Puerto Rico. She loved parrandas during Christmastime, going from house to house with food and music and celebrating together.

She used to be afraid of dogs until she met her son’s dogs, Romeo and Cardi, whom she fell deeply in love with.

Unfortunately, she developed Alzheimer’s and dementia. She wanted people to understand how debilitating Alzheimer’s could be and began wearing purple for Alzheimer’s awareness after becoming sick. She eventually lived at the Hebrew Center, where she was visited by friends and family and was able to live in the same facility as her beloved mother.

Even in her advanced condition, nothing could stop her from dancing or saying, “¡Wepa!”

At the age of 58, she passed away peacefully in her sleep at 5:42 a.m. on September 17, 2026.

She is survived by her son, AJ Rivera, her ex-husband, Alfred Rivera; her sister, Estella Morales Perez; and her niece and nephews, Valerie, Giancarlo, and Jesus-Daniel.

She will forever live on in the hearts of those who knew her and those who loved her.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, September 21, 2026 at 10 AM at Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home, 411 So. Main St., New Britain followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 AM at St. Mary Church. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery, New Britain. Calling hours are Sunday, September 20, 2026 from 6-8 PM at Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home.

In recognition of her desire to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease, family and friends attending her services are asked to wear something purple in her honor.