Marie B. Lopez

Marie B. Lopez, age 98, passed away peacefully on January 17, 2018. Marie was born

August 22, 1919 in Albuquerque, NM to Marie Nicolas de la Luz and Joe J. Brazil. Marie was raised on a ranch in Scholle, NM. She attended elementary school in a one room schoolhouse in Scholle where her mother was the teacher. Marie graduated from Mountainair High School and then moved to Albuquerque to attend secretarial school. Marie married Arthur B. Lopez in 1938, and he worked for the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) in Brazil, before his eventual passing in 1989.

Marie was predeceased by her daughter, Margaret Mary Ambrosoni; her son, Arthur B. Lopez Jr.; and two sisters, Belina Ramirez and Joe J. Brazil. Marie is survived by one daughter, Rose Marie Lopez of Santa Fe, NM; five grandchildren, Ninha Marie Simms, Maria Simms Peters, Arthur Lopez III, Chris Lopez, Carolyn Lopez; and two great grandchildren, Luke Simmons and Taylor Andrew Peters. Marie is survived by two siblings, Martina Franklin of Socorro, NM and Marcela Dios of Bradley Beach, NJ.

Marie dedicated her life to her family, to her Old Town community, and to the San Felipe de Neri Church where she was a parishioner for seventy years and taught Catechism. Marie was a world traveler who loved visiting her extensive family internationally and throughout New Mexico. In 1967, she lived in Recife, Brazil with her husband, learned to speak Portuguese, and often retold stories about this exciting period of her life. She travelled with her daughter Margie, who was in Recife during this period of her life, to the Amazon, Rio de Janeiro and many more exciting areas of Brazil. Marie visited Europe, after Margie had moved to London, and together they travelled to Switzerland, Italy and Spain. She was a longtime member of the Pan-American Roundtable, and in 1992 she travelled with the group to Santo Domingo, where she attended mass given by Pope John Paul. And, in 2000, with the company of her daughter Rose Marie she travelled with the same group to Puebla and Mexico City, Mexico. When she was 83 she travelled to Sun Valley, Idaho to visit her granddaughter Maria, she loved the mountainous scenery and had her 1st experience on a chair lift. In her late eighties she travelled with Nancy Axtell, a neighbor, and friend for 50 years on her last long journey to visit Margie in Buenos Aires. She was blessed with a long memorable life, and was attended by caring dedicated, caregivers in her later years.

Funeral services will be held at San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town on Friday, April 6, 2018 at 9:30 a.m. A reception will follow at San Jose Church Reception Hall. In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the charity of your choice.