Patricia Rivera

Patricia (Tricia) Rivera passed away on October 9, 2025, at Norfolk General Hospital, VA. Tricia was a long- time resident of Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, NC, living the dream. She is survived by her husband Jim (52 years) and her son Mark and his family (Jessi, Morgan, and James) of Central, SC. Other living family includes her sister, Penny Odom (Alan), nephew Austin Balk (Joia), and niece Lauren Dickens (Joe), all on the west coast. Extended family reside in the Rocky Mount NC area. She was pre-deceased in death by her daughter Becky and her brother Joseph.

Tricia was born in Falmouth, MA on Cape Cod near the beach. Her parents, Marvin “Odie” Odom, a decorated WWII Navy fighter pilot and a senior captain at United Airlines and Ottola Annette (Augusta) Odom, a housewife and community activist, moved to Oceanport, NJ when Tricia was young, but again near the beach.

She attended Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New Jersey and received a BA degree in Education from Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, NY. After returning home to New Jersey, Tricia taught junior high and high school in Monmouth County. She was also actively involved with the Rumson Players, a semi-professional acting troupe where she played multiple shows and was assistant director for their version of “The Fantastics”

After the birth of Becky, the family relocated to Haddam, CT where she became the front desk librarian at Wesleyan University. She later worked for TRW Real Estate Services as a land title examiner travelling all over eastern Connecticut.

In 1990, the family moved to the Outer Banks. Tricia continued being a title examiner for TRW, Stewart Title, and then as an independent examiner in Hampton Roads up until retirement age. Both Becky and son Mark graduated from Manteo High School and then both received bachelor’s degrees from Clemson University as Trish evolved into a college sports fanatic.  She continued her acting aspirations and starred in multiple productions by the Theatre of Dare.

Tricia loved the beach and loved the local live music scene becoming a regular at performances by The Wilders, at open mike night at Art’s Place, by Scott Sechman, and by Ruth Wyand.  No funeral is planned. A family gathering will happen in Rocky Mount and a musical celebration of life will be held on the Outer Banks, with venue and date yet to be determined. Watch her Facebook page for further details.

No flowers, please. Contributions can be made in her honor to the Mustang Outreach Program for the education of young musicians. (mustangoutreachobx.org)  Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.gallopfuneralservices.com.