Ryan Dorsey feels that Naya Rivera is watching over her son, Josey, who was just four when he witnessed his mother’s drowning in California’s Lake Piru six years ago.
“He’s been taking piano lessons for a bit over a year now, and he’s really getting the hang of it. That’s the one thing I’ve connected him with his mom on,” Dorsey shared during a Zoom call from his home in West Virginia, noting how Rivera had always wished she hadn’t stopped playing.
“I told him, ‘Your mom is always with you… You might not see it now, but one day when you’re older, you’ll appreciate this. While you live with me, you’re not quitting.’”
At 42, Dorsey noted, “Hearing his progress has been truly amazing.”
In addition to music, the father and son duo are honoring Rivera’s memory with a ‘Mommy Garden’ filled with roses and other flowers.
“Every year we come back to it,” Dorsey explained. “Josey helps with watering and caring for it. It’s sort of like a wishing well we made for her.”
During the interview, one of Dorsey’s pets wandered into view, serving as another reminder of Rivera.
“This is Cliffy. [Josey] wanted a boy dog, and I said, ‘Well, that’s all they had,’” Dorsey laughed. “So he named her Clifford. Her middle name is Marie, just like her mom’s. So it’s Cliffy Marie.”
Dorsey and Josey make a conscious effort to keep Rivera’s spirit alive, and it seems that Josey does this effortlessly too.
“He does little things, laughs and gestures that are so reminiscent of her. Sometimes, I don’t even think he realizes it, but it brings back memories of the silly things she used to do,” Dorsey reflected with a smile. “Despite everything he’s been through, he’s a happy, charming, bright kid.”
Rivera drowned on July 8, 2020, and it took five painful days to recover her body.
“The first week of July is always tough,” Dorsey admitted. “I purposely avoid thinking about how many days it took because it felt like this never-ending nightmare.”
Dorsey shared, “Josey does have a unique way of approaching that day.”
“When we swim, he sometimes makes comments related to what happened, and then he just goes back to having fun,” Dorsey said. “It lingers in a sad way, but I’m thankful for his spirit. He lights up every space he enters.”
Taking life “one day at a time,” Dorsey focuses on raising 10-year-old Josey, who has been without a mother for a significant part of his life.
After Rivera’s passing, Dorsey found it difficult to stay in Los Angeles due to rising living costs and media scrutiny, so he returned home to West Virginia for a calmer, fulfilling environment for his son.
As a single father, he is putting in extra effort to support Josey—financially, physically, and emotionally—while also dealing with their shared loss.
“That’s just how it is; it’s tough, but we’re doing our best. Life, well—what can you say? It doesn’t stop for anyone,” Dorsey chuckled softly.
“I often tell Josey, ‘Life is short, and it can be grim, but there’s still humor to be found,’” Dorsey concluded.
