Mr. Lopez was born September 13, 1917, in San Diego, Cal., the son of John Joseph Lopez and Nellie Edith, nee Lackey, Lopez. He was a fifth-generation native Californian and a proud descendant of one of the founding families of San Diego.
He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, Lee Edward Lopez, and his wife of 70 years, Mary Ann, nee Feldmann, Lopez, whom he married January 13, 1947 in Santa Monica, Cal. and who passed away August 1, 2017.
Gene retired as Chief Engineer from Belleville Township High School East School District. He was a U.S. Navy veteran serving from 1936-1940, and a veteran of the U.S.C.G. Merchant Marines, serving in the Atlantic, Pacific and Mediterranean from 1942-1945. He was a past president of the Board of Education for Belle-Valley School District and a former alderman for the City of Belleville under Mayor Charles Nichols. Gene was a member of the Belleville Elks Lodge #481 and a lifetime member of the Belleville/ Swansea Moose Lodge #1221. He was a lifelong sailor and the oldest member of the Boulder Yacht Club, Carlyle Lake, sailing with his son and family until the age of 95.
Surviving are his four children, Gary (Margaret) Lopez of Shiloh, Ill.; Rebecca Cordes (Ronald B. Hettenhausen, deceased) of Columbia, Ill.; Mona (John) Hessling of St. Peters, Mo.; and Mary Jean Lopez of Belleville, Ill.; grandchildren, Tammy (Tom) Carpenter of Freeburg, Ill., Nicole (Scott) Olson of Smithton, Ill., Mary Ann (Mark) Lopez-Drake of Belleville, Ill., Emily (David) Wombacher of Smithton, Ill., R. Scott (Amy) Hettenhausen of Muri by Bern, Switzerland, John (Kristine) Hettenhausen of O’Fallon, Ill., and Jeremy Appel of Belleville, Ill.; ten great-grandchildren, Noah and Henry Carpenter; Avery and Addison Olson; Sophia, Ava and Ella Hettenhausen; and Ben, Matthew and Jack Hettenhausen.
A private memorial service will be held today, Thursday, October 18, 2018 at Valhalla Gardens of Memory. Cremains will be entombed at Valhalla Gardens of Memory in Belleville, Ill. Memorials may be made to the Belleville Area Humane Society, 1301 S. 11th Street, Belleville, IL 62226.
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