John F. Lopez passed away at his home in San Luis Obispo on November 14, 2021, at the age of 70. John was born to Fortino Lopez and Marianne Milligan Lopez in the Mountain View Hospital, San Luis Obispo, on September 27, 1951. He was proud to be a San Luis Obispo native and lived most of his life in San Luis Obispo County, spending over 30 years in Atascadero.
His childhood years were spent in San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach, attending Arroyo Grande High School. After his service in the Marine Corps, John returned to San Luis Obispo. Through his working years, he worked for Air Vol Block, Grayson Petroleum (Price Canyon oil fields), City of Atascadero, and for the last 20 of his working years as a shoe repairman for Takkens in both Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo. His quality leatherwork, which included not only shoe repair but repairing or restoring tack and making custom orthotics, was widely known, and many customers asked specifically for John to do their leatherwork. He loved working with his hands and continued working with leather after his retirement. In retirement, he also took up a hobby of restoring good quality hatchets that had been well used and somewhat abused, bringing them back to usable or collector pieces. Many friends and family have received restored hatchets and other items John made over the years.
John was very proud of his service in the United States Marine Corps, maintaining relationships with his Marine brothers throughout his life. He never missed calling those brothers every year on November 10 to celebrate the Marine Corps Birthday. He was a very generous and loyal friend, maintaining many lifelong friendships. He was hailed by all who knew him as a good and gentle man with a big heart. His calming presence will be sorely missed.
John was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Deborah Humphrey. He is survived by his wife Roxana Rogers Lopez of San Luis Obispo, daughter Lisa Morris and grandson Mason Morris of Atascadero. Also, sisters Madeline (Penny) Delano Gracey of Atascadero, Theresa Beam of Longview WA, Tammy Resovich of Auburn CA, and brother Walter Davis of Centerville GA, along with numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.
At John’s request, there will be no formal memorial service. He will be honored in a private Marine Corps Honor Ceremony for immediate family at Los Osos Valley Memorial Park. He will be laid to rest in the Veterans Memorial Garden section. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in John’s memory be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation, which does so much in support of our military and first responders.
