Rev. Oscar Manuel Lopez

1955 - 2022

Rev. Oscar Manuel López, Jr. of Denton, MD passed away November 30, 2022. He was 67. Oscar was born March 23, 1955 in Florida, Camaguey, Cuba, the son of Oscar Manuel López and Amelia Guerra López and older brother to Ludy López.

Oscar came to America with his parents in 1957 and settled in Hialeah, FL. He graduated from Miami Springs High School in 1974, then graduated from Toccoa Falls College in GA in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Missiology. He married Pamela McCrary on July 23, 1977. In 1980 he became a naturalized United States citizen. Also in 1980, he and Pamela, along with their daughter Andrea, went to Pucallpa, Peru as missionaries. While in Pucallpa, Oscar founded and taught at the Instituto Biblico de Pucallpa, a school to prepare Peruvian Christian ministers.

Oscar took many canoe trips on the Ucayali River into the jungle interior, teaching the Shipibo people about Jesus. Oscar, Pamela, and their daughters Andrea, Alicia, and Amelia returned to the States in 1984. In 1985, Oscar became a United Methodist minister and was appointed to Asbury/Cokesbury/Tome charge in Port Deposit, MD. He received a Master of Divinity from Lancaster Theological Seminary in PA, focusing on Hebrew and Greek, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from St. Thomas of Villanova University in Miamia, FL. Oscar was ordained a full elder in the United Methodist Church in 1990. Also in 1990, he was appointed to the Grasonville Immanuel Charge, where he served as "Reverand Oscar" for 28 years until his retirement in 2018.

Oscar enjoyed gardening (and sharing his tomato plants with his family), working on vehicles (he restored a 1952 Chevrolet pickup truck), playing the guitar, studying finance and investments, and being Abuelo/Abu to his 7 grandchildren.

Oscar and Pamela were married 45 years; Pamela was the love of his life. They had 3 daughters: Andrea López Burns (husband Nate, children Seth, Lucas, Audrey); Alicia López Raburn (husband George, child Silas); Amelia López VanSant (husband Nathaniel, children Bryson, Chase, Tanner). He is survived also by his sister Ludy López and his niece Nataly López Cano.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home in Centreville, MD with the service to be held on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at 11AM. For online condolences go to www.fhnfuneralhome.com