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Trinidad Lopez Obituary
Dr. Trinidad Lopez, 81, of Placitas, NM, died on August 6th, 2024. He was born September 8, 1942, in Reseda, CA to Romulo Lopez and Josefita Cano.
He is preceded in death by his brother Romulo "Boy" Lopez and his sister Margaret Lopez Naperalski. He is survived by his beloved wife and their son, Mary Wright de Lopez, 82, of Placitas, NM, and Julian Urquhart Lopez, 45, of Bernalillo, NM.
Dr. Lopez received a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Art Education from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. He later earned his Ph.D. in art education and multicultural education from the University of New Mexico.
He grew up in a large family based in Somerton and Yuma, AZ where he graduated from Yuma High School. From his earliest days he was recognized as an artist by his family and community. When in high school he received a national Scholastic art award for his work.
In the 1960s he worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia and then as a Spanish language trainer at Peace Corps training centers in California and Puerto Rico. He and Mary met in Puerto Rico, were married in 1970 and they moved to New Mexico in 1972.
Dr. Lopez served as the deputy director of the New Mexico Arts Division where he worked to establish arts programs in public schools and communities. He was the co-founder of the New Mexico Art Education Association and served on the regional board of the NAEA. He was recognized for his work promoting border arts events by the NM Legislature and the Mexican Consulate.
He taught on the faculties of New Mexico State University and the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Lopez retired from St Pius X in 2012. He continued to serve his community as a board member for the Good Shepard Center in Albuquerque.
In 1997, Dr. Lopez and Mary relocated to Placitas, New Mexico where he lived until his passing. Dr. Lopez was generous, thoughtful and welcomed every day with joy. His retirement years were peaceful and happy, punctuated by international travel.
There will be a memorial service followed by a reception on September 14th, 2024 at 11:00 in the lobby of the St. Pius X Fine Arts Building.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Trinidad Lopez
3 Entries
David Stephens
March 26, 2025
On a flight from Dallas Fort Worth to Albuquerque in October 2022 I happened to sit next to this gentleman and his wife. They were returning home from a holiday cruise trip, and I was on my way for my first visit to my daughter since her move to live in Albuquerque. I had a very pleasant, warm, friendly and extended conversation with Trini and Mary during the course of the flight. By total coincidence I have just watched the movie `The Dirty Dozen´ which has the singer/actor Trini Lopez as a cast member. I looked up the singer/actoron Google only to find unexpectedly,p the obituary of the charming man of the same name who I once had a very enjoyable conversation with.
Obituary condolences are typically posted by those who had a close association with the deceased. And that is right and natural. But, as with the lives of each of us, our daily contacts are with a much wider community of others with whom those contacts, which though they may be fleeting, are nevertheless influential, remembered and meaningful. We should not underestimate the impact we can have on the experiences of the people we meet in our everyday lives. Luckily for me I was one of those, no doubt legions of random individuals who had the fleeting pleasure of the company, conversation and charm of this Trini Lopez. He was to me one of life´s gentlemen.
Maria Kelly
August 12, 2024
Dear Mary, it is with great sadness at the passing of Trini, that we are remembering him with happiness. We as a family are forever grateful for his loving kindness and valuable art knowledge he shared with our daugther; now a teacher hoping to go into art therapy. Thank you for being such a great example of caring, kindness and love. Maria, Katie Kelly
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