Dulce Maria Lopez

DULCE MARIA LOPEZ, daughter of the late Sylvia Guarina & Bienvenido Villalona and Luz Villalona, was born on December 4th, 1949 in Juan Gome, Dominican Republic. As one of six children, Dulce was both a beloved sibling and a natural-born nurturer, imparting unconditional love and boundless care to anyone fortunate enough to be in her life.

A trail-blazer in all forms of the word, Dulce determined the life she desired early on and stopped at nothing to create it. Soon after moving to New York with her father, she uncovered her passion for philanthropy and decided to use that passion to fuel the fire inside of her, yearning for success. In the midst of discovering her passion, she also discovered her purpose when she met the love of her life and eternal dance partner, Enrique Lopez. Together they created a family of three beautiful children, Henry, Richard, and Diamelin, whom she cherished so dearly.

With her family at home and her goals on the horizon, Dulce dedicated her entire life's work to helping others. A devoted servant, Dulce played a pivotal role in the advancement of others; to impoverished students as a financial aid officer, to youth in search of guidance as a social worker, to the elderly and sick as a faithful servant of God. Dulce devoted her life to the church, always finding solace in how she could help others. If you ever needed a prayer, you knew you could count on Dulce’s special connection with God to cover your loved ones as if they were her own; that’s just who she was. For over forty years, she was blessed enough to call Immaculate Conception Church her home away from home, where she made life-long friendships of which she valued deeply.

Dulce was one of the most genuine and kind-hearted people you could have ever known. Taking the time to build loving and lasting relationships was what she thrived on; making sure everyone felt special. To be able to call Dulce a friend, a sister, a mother, a wife, a daughter, a grandma… was to receive a blessing from God, because she was truly a rare soul here on earth. With her avid love of dance, she brought out the music in all of us. A dignified woman, an ambitious woman, a sassy woman, and a vibrant soul in which we are all so much better to have known and to have loved.

Dulce continued her dance into heaven on July 4th, 2021, like the firecracker she was, to join her loving parents Sylvia Guarina & Bienvenido Villalona and brother Fredi Villalona. Her legacy and labor of love, however, continues to live on through her mother Luz Villalona who aches the loss of her daughter; her devoted husband of over fifty years Enrique Lopez who mourns his wife so deeply; her second mother Viola Roque whom she spoke with daily and took her in as her own; her children whom she lived for Henry, Richard, and Diamelin Lopez her right-hand; her devoted daughter-in-law Trina Lopez whom Dulce always considered her other daughter; her grand-daughters Taysha Riley and Ciara Lopez who if you knew Dulce, you knew was the absolute pride and joy of her life, speaking constantly of her fulfillment as a grandmother; her great-grandson Grant Moore whom she adored; her dearest sister and closest friend Mary (Alex) Villalona; her loving brothers Rafael (Fey), Carlos, Tavo, and Beni Villalona; her special nephew Fernando (Pranee) and nieces Jossie Pena and Venus (Pasqual)Villalona who were raised as her own; her goddaughter Nina Valentin and godson Nicolas Amatulli whom she loved dearly, and a host of other nieces and nephews, cousins, friends, and family that she held so near and dear to her heart. Her kid’s childhood best friends became her own children, and after their personal losses were welcomed with open arms as her own children, Michelle Rivera-Santiago & Shirley Aponte, Frederico Perez & Dan Smalls. And to her compadres and comadres, Maria & Tonito Beltran and Dany & Daisy Valentin, and life-long partners and friends Louis & Maria Rodriguez, Carmen Alvarez, Gladys & Sebastian Negron, and the late Lydia & Edwardo Garcia, you held a special place in her heart and will always be remembered.