Arthur Lopez Diaz

Arthur is survived by his wife, Irene children, Arthur Jr., Loretta, Renee, Andrew and Adrian; siblings, Frank Diaz, Raymond Diaz, Margaret Delatorre, Angela Rodriguez and Beatrice Toscano and eight grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Arthur was born on June 19, 1940 in Superior Arizona to Frank and Laura Diaz. The family moved to Azusa, California while Arthur was a young boy and finally settled in Wilmington, California in 1944. Arthur attended Saint Peter and Paul elementary and middle school and Sierra High School. He excelled in athletics and especially loved football. While attending Sierra High he earned a football scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota.

As children Arthur and his brothers loved to play in and around the docks. Arthur, Frank and Ray loved to dive for nickels off the piers and sold newspapers to seaman and Longshoremen on the docks. All three brothers were tremendous athletes and the best of friends.

Arthur married Irene Serrano, his high school sweetheart in 1958 and soon after they welcomed five children into their home. His children remember Arthur as a caring and dedicated father with fond memories of spending quality time with him. Arthur loved to take his children on Sunday outings to the old PIKE amusement park in Long Beach, to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard to tour the battle ships and to the beach to teach them to body surf. Arthur also loved to fish and spent many weekends and summer nights with his children fishing and crabbing off of Belmont Pier and in and around the canneries on Terminal Island. You could also find him scurrying on the beach with his 5 children in tow carrying gunny sacks while grunion hunting. His children were everything to him.

Arthur was devout Catholic and his faith never wavered in the most difficult of times. He was a generous individual who loved giving and who was passionate about family and faith. He was a dedicated son to his parents Frank and Laura Diaz but was especially close to his mother. The loving and caring relationship between Arthur and his mother cannot be expressed in words and was a blessing to be a part of and to witness. In Arthur’s own words, “she was the most beautiful women in the Galaxy.”

Visitation will be on October 16th, from 5pm to 9pm with a rosary at 7pm at Funeraria Del Angel McNerney’s in Wilmington, California

Funeral Mass is scheduled for October 17th, 10am at Saint Peter and Paul Church in Wilmington, California, with the burial to follow at Green Hills Cemetery in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Immediately following a memorial celebration will be held at Ports of Call restaurant in San Pedro, California.

Arrangements under the direction of Funeraria del Angel McNerney's Mortuary, FD #858, Wilmington, CA.