Obituary
On August 16, 2023 at 11:41 pm, Chief Warrant Officer II Don Manuel Lopez, 74, of Edmonds, Washington passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family.
Don was born on January 8, 1949, to Manuel and Mildred Lopez in Detroit, Michigan. In 1967, he graduated from Southfield High School. Don joined the United States Army on September 20, 1968, completed basic training, and was sent to Korea to serve near the DMZ. Years later, he was stationed in Fort Shafter, Hawaii where he ultimately returned to school, and in 1977 he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from The University of Hawaii.
Don thrived in the military, becoming a prolific computer programmer. Former colleagues, when remembering their time working with Don, commented that Don was, “like God” among the programmers he worked with in Germany. Don was known for bringing email to the military bases in Europe and authored a book that every base in Europe utilized to learn what email was and how to use it. It was therefore no surprise that Don climbed the military ranks quickly, eventually being promoted to a Warrant Officer II before retiring from the army in 1989.
It was during Don’s time in the military that he discovered his love for traveling. While still in the military, Don traveled from Germany to New York to visit family and friends almost every year. He loved going to California to visit his sister Tana and his father Manny. Once he retired, he would travel even more often. Don even took a job in South Korea, enrolling his children in the embassy school and enjoying all the things he had grown to love about Korea from years ago when he spent his first duty station there. Throughout the years, Don loved going to visit his six children and multiple grandchildren in Hawaii, Tennessee, Washington DC, Washington State, and California. Some trips were about sorrows, such as the passing of his father Manny and his mother Millie, but other trips were to celebrate weddings and arrivals as little ones arrived, attending military reunions, and just to spend time with his children and grandchildren. Don also loved keeping in touch with his buddies from his time spent in the military and even created a website (http://www.imjinscout.org) to act as a gathering place to reminisce about his time on the DMZ.
In a word, Don was curious and his inquisitiveness and keen intellect drove all his pursuits. He loved learning languages, learning to speak Korean, some Russian, and even became fluent in German. Don wanted his children to learn how to speak German too, and would encourage them to watch the German version of Sesame Street and other German television shows, telling them that it was important to learn the language of the country you lived in. Don loved running half-marathons, loved driving all over Germany to complete Volksmarches with his family, was a member of the Heidelberg Masonic Lodge, and he loved taking photographs, leaving a huge collection behind which his family will always cherish. Don was passionate about learning, and anyone who had visited his home would remember the pile of books he always kept next to his bed! Whatever he did, he was all in. When he took up crocheting, he promptly crocheted a beautiful tree skirt that we were all very impressed with.
Family Who Went Before
Don was predeceased by father Manny Lopez, who died December 3, 2009 and mother Mildred Gill, who died March 28, 1979.
Family He Left Behind
He is survived by his children: Don Christopher Lopez (Coral), Tana Lopez Younger (Ely), Lana Lopez Lono (Dale), Don Manuel Lopez, Jr. (Sue), Michael William Lopez, Angela Marie Lopez, and his grandchildren: Alex, Mali, Christopher, Ebony, Tatiana, Imani, Quinlan, Xavier, Ziara, Summer, Peyton, Valerie, Donnie, Ivy, Ian, James, William and his sister Tana Smith.