David G. Rivest, 82, of Holyoke, passed away surrounded by his loving family on July 7, 2025 at his home. Living in Holyoke his entire life, the son of the late David J. and Agnes (Baldyga) Rivest, he was educated in the Holyoke Public Schools. David spent 6 years in the United States Army National Guard as a private in the 104th infantry. David had a long career as a Sales Representative, working for Kayem Foods and Waybest Food Distributors until his retirement in 2009.  

David found a lot of joy in his basement woodshop creating small pieces of furniture for loved ones, and bird houses that everyone loved and frequently requested.  Many of those creations were sold annually at the Fall Festivals at Blessed Sacrament and Mater Dolorosa.  He loved watching the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox.  He would do anything and everything for those that he loved. David loved being out in the sun, whether it was working in his and Faye’s beautiful garden, or at the beach.  Hampton Beach was one of his favorite spots to visit with his wife, Faye, and two sons, Jason and Matthew.

Faye and David met in the backyard of their Holyoke apartment building on Brooks Avenue in 1975.  Many memories were made in that backyard.  On April 23, 1976, Faye and David had tickets to go see Loggins & Messina at the Civic Center in Springfield.  Earlier that day, while horsing around in the backyard with the neighborhood kids, David wanted to prove he could jump down a flight of stairs, 8 stairs to be exact, which he did, but fractured his heel in the process, resulting in a long, foot-to-thigh leg cast. They ended up selling the tickets, and David hobbled his way up to Faye’s 2nd floor apartment and never left.  Faye began taking care for David that day and never stopped. 

Early in their time together, David helped Faye get through Nursing School, including helping her memorize all 204 bones in the human body.  In 1981, David and Faye were married in Holyoke.  David later adopted Jason in the same year.  David taught him how to ride a bike, catch a baseball, and was always there for him. In 1982, Matthew David was born.  His greatest joy was becoming a father. He was incredibly proud of his boys and would go to great lengths for them to help them whenever they needed it.

David had a way of making his family laugh out loud, including one particular night on rainy vacation when he did a “rain dance” ceremony in a hotel room so the sun would come out. He would do anything in his power to make his boys laugh, which later continued with his grandsons.  In 2012, David became a Pepé when grandson William was born.  In 2016, David became a Pepé again when grandson Henry was born.   He took every opportunity to spoil William & Henry, like many trips to the Holyoke Children’s Museum, the Holyoke Merry Go Round and different playgrounds and many sleepovers. As the boys got older, he would make the time to play in the backyard, including playing catch, teaching them how to ride a bike, and going to their many games they played in.  Dollar Tree and Round One became an after school tradition for Pepé and his grandsons.  

Faye was the absolute love of his life. They had a beautiful life together and David will be missed tremendously.  Faye and David were inseparable. They enjoyed quiet drives, errands, beach vacations, watching TV shows in the evening, and homemade meals cooked by Faye.  David had a great sense of direction and knew all the back roads to their favorite spots.  David loved to drive and was never afraid of getting lost. He would take Faye anywhere she wanted to go without hesitation.

He is survived by his wife of 43 wonderful years, Faye J. (Langlois) Rivest; two sons: Jason Rivest of Chicopee and Matthew Rivest and his wife Adair of West Springfield; two grandsons: William and Henry Rivest; a brother Mark Rivest of San Diego, California; a sister Jacqueline Kaplinger of Easthampton, and several nieces and nephews. 

The Rivest family extends a heartfelt thanks to the doctors and nurses at Holyoke Medical Center, particularly Dr. Mateen and her wonderful staff at the HMC Oncology department as well as Holyoke VNA and Hospice Life Care.

Calling hours will be held on Monday, July 14 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Barry J. Farrell Funeral Home, 2049 Northampton Street Holyoke, MA 01040. Burial will be private at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.