Dr. Gastón Fernando De Jesus Peña Rivera passed away suddenly on March 3, 2023, after several years of declining health. The world lost a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend.

Gaston was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on January 16, 1955, to Jose Alberto Peña Tejeda and Josephina Rivera De Peña. He was the oldest of 5 children. Gastón studied at Universidad Autonoma De Santo Domingo. He received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine and began his career working with Seagana as a bovine veterinarian. He later worked with MUDE, Mujeres En Desarrollo Dominicana, educating impoverished women in the skill of caring for livestock.

During this time, he met laboratory technologist and pastry chef, Sonia Eloida Cruz Pimentel. They married in 1978. Soon after, their first of 6 children was born. In 1990, they moved to Peabody, Massachusetts with their children and started their family-owned bakery. Gastón began working as a pastry chef, focusing on his family favorite, pastelitos . Soon, the bakery expanded its offerings to include Dominican pastries and cakes, making faithful customers of the local residents of North Shore. The success of their business afforded them the opportunity to purchase the family home where they raised their children.

Gastón was passionate about gardening, taking care of cattle, listening to music, engaging in political discourse, and spending time with loved ones. He loved taking naps, playing the lotto, watching educational documentaries, and making pastelitos for his friends and family. Gastón is preceded in death by his parents Jose and Josefina, and his brother Petronio Augusto Peña Rivera. He is survived by his wife Sonia Eloida Peña; his children Gastón Alberto Peña, Laura Josefina Lopez, Fernando Antonio Peña, Jennifer Aracelis Peña Perez, Sonia Noemi Soto, and Charlene Margarita Peña; grandchildren Cynthia Maria Diaz, Julio Peña, Lisbeth Josephina Peña, Isabella Marie Peña, Ivette Allison Peña, Juliano Fernando Peña, Giovanni Jose Peña, Annabelle Victoria Peña, Leandro Quinton Peña, Jaston Jeffrey Soto, Kamila Noemi Soto, Kailani Jaslene Soto, Catalina Ava Soto; Lucia Sonia Lopez, Jorge Alejandro Lopez, Esmeralda Aracelis Perez, and Viviana Amelia Perez; and great-grandson Lorenzo Antonio Fernandez; daughters-in-law Escarllin Ramirez and Victoria Peña; Sons-in-law Jeffrey Soto, Cornelio Enrique Perez Lopez, and Fredy Jeovanni Lopez; brother Jose Alberto Peña Rivera; sisters Aracelis Elizabeth Peña Rivera and Rosanna Josefina Peña De Jimenez.