Enrique affectionately known as Rick, 74, born and raised in Morenci, Arizona, a resident of Tucson, Arizona entered Eternal Rest on June 9, 2022, with his wife, five daughters, and one of his grandsons by his side. Rick worked for Phelps Dodge Mining, Crystal Ice, Walmart, Deming Public Schools and the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind. He retired from Phelps Dodge Corporation, where he worked for forty years. Rick was a skilled mechanic, pipe fitter, welder, and certified bus driver. He drove for Deming Public Schools and was a bus monitor for the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind. Rick raised five daughters, Bonnie, Maryann, Melissa, Daniela, Jessica, and a granddaughter, Kassaundra. He was a proud Papa to twenty-two grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. Rick’s hobbies included reading, fishing, and relaxing with a cold beer and a nice cigar at the end of the day. He also had a passion for motorcycles – allowing for rides out on the open road on his Harley where he felt the exhilaration of those enjoyable and memorable adventures. Rick’s greatest accomplishment was his wonderfully large family whom he loved with all his heart and whose many accomplishments made him extremely proud. He enjoyed getting together and watching all the grandkids run around – with the whole family listening to music, laughing, talking, eating, drinking, and joking around. Rick is survived by his wife Dolores of 57 years. His daughters, Bonnie Navarrete, her husband Michael of Tucson, AZ; Mary Ann Sanders her husband Fred of Alpine, AZ; Melissa Monica her husband John of Mandeville, LA; Daniela Torrez her husband Raymond of Silver City, NM; Jessica Gallegos her husband David of Morenci, AZ. He is also survived by his brothers, Steve Lopez, John Lopez and Daniel Lopez. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Enrique and Dalia Lopez and his son, Enrique III. Our family wishes to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Emergency and ICU Teams at Banner Hospital for their incredible medical care, especially the nurses who cared for our father with dedication, compassion, and ardor… Thank you, Jackie, Maria, Gemma, Kat, Amanda and Lauren – you are all magnificent at what you do, and you were our dad’s angels on earth. Rick battled cancer for over 20 years. He was a strong man and had an amazing will to live but tragically, was taken from us far too soon – succumbing to the terrible effects of his cancer, sarcoma. For the year 2022, so far, the estimated numbers of new cancer cases and deaths is 1.9 million new cancer cases and 609,360 cancer deaths in the United States alone. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Therefore, in memory of our beloved, Enrique “Rick” Lopez Jr., donations can be made to the University of Arizona Cancer Center. Services to be advised. Arrangements by EVERGREEN MORTUARY.
Published by Arizona Daily Star on Aug. 7, 2022.
34465541-95D0-45B0-BEEB-B9E0361A315ATo plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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