Frank Lopez
Frank Lopez, originally of Edgemont, passed away peacefully January 24, 2021 in Las Vegas, NV. Born April 9, 1923 in East LA to Peter and Maria Lopez, the Lopez family moved to Edgemont in 1927. He was a 1941 graduate of Riverside Poly High School. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in summer of 1941 and was stationed throughout the Pacific during WWII, learning aircraft maintenance. In 1948, he resigned his commission from the Navy and worked as a Riverside County sheriff until he re-enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1950. He met and married Joan Lopez in 1952; their two sons were born at March AFB. In 1959, they were stationed at Weisbaden AFB in West Germany; then George AFB in Victorville in 1962. He retired from the Air Force in 1966 as a Chief Master sergeant, earning the Air Force Commendation Medal. He worked in Civil Service positions while earning a B.A. in Education. In 1967, he joined the San Bernardino Valley College Aeronautics Dept as an instructor and moved into the Department Chair position, earning a Master’s of Education in 1975. He retired with distinction from SBVC in 1991. In retirement, he enjoyed volunteering with the Hesperia chapters of the VFW, American Legion, and as a mentor/ tutor with the Lewis Science Center in Apple Valley. Frank always enjoyed his dogs, traveling, and weekly lunches with friends from the military. When Joan passed away in 2015, he moved to Las Vegas to be closer to his son. He is survived by his children, Frank Curtis Lopez of Cameron, Texas; Dennis Keith Lopez of Las Vegas, NV; three grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.
