Richard Lopez Jimenez
Richard Lopez Jimenez, a dedicated husband and father who shared his warmth and humor with all, died Oct. 22 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. He was 79.
Born on Nov. 11, 1944 in San Gabriel to parents Jesus Jimenez and Anita Lopez Jimenez, Richard was the younger brother to two sisters, Sylvia and Alice. He attended Marianna Ave., Lincoln and Coolidge schools, earning praise in the Junior American Citizens group and winning first place in an American Legion essay contest in the 5th grade.
Richard played baseball in San Gabriel Little League, learning under his father, who helped coach Richard’s team, the Prudential Savers. As a young adult, Richard later joined his father in coaching. Richard was a lifelong fan of the game, cheering on his favorite players regardless of their team – some of those he liked best were Pete Rose, Hank Aaron and Johnny Bench.
At San Gabriel High School, Richard played halfback and fullback on the football team, helping the “Bee” team to a 35-game winning streak and a fourth consecutive Sierra League championship in 1960.
After high school, he took a job as a telephone lineman, but he was hit by a car in 1965, causing a serious leg injury that took away his ability to do heavy physical work. He enrolled at Pasadena City College in 1967 and learned accounting.
Richard developed a great love for rock ’n’ roll, rhythm & blues and other kinds of music as a young man, a love that he kept throughout his life, listening to Bob Dylan, The Doors, Chuck Berry, the Sones Jarochos of Veracruz, Mexico and many others.
He met Claudia Lowe in 1968. In 1970, they were married at the San Gabriel Mission, celebrating their honeymoon on the Central Coast.
In 1973, they welcomed their first child, daughter Laura. In 1975, she was joined by a son, Daniel; the family moved together from the Los Angeles area to Goleta, where Richard took a job at UCSB.
Richard loved to drive and owned several cars that were sources of pride, including a 1955 Chevy and later, a canary-yellow Porsche 911. Even when he was piloting family-friendly vehicles years later, he was still fond of bragging that “I can drive a hot spike into a snow bank.”
He was an active parent, teaching important life lessons and helping his children with their homework, coaching and showing up to cheer, support and encourage them as they grew.
In 1990, he took a new job at the Goleta Water District, where he worked until his retirement in 2000. After retirement, he drove part-time for Easy Lift, combining his loves for driving and for meeting and helping new people.
Richard was a lifelong newshound, devouring the morning paper every day and (occasionally) driving his loved ones crazy while watching cable TV news as an older man. He was incredibly curious about the world, constantly asking questions and earning himself the nickname “Chuck” from his family (ask them why).
Richard and Claudia remained married for 54 years, until Richard’s death; together, they traveled to Mexico, Italy, and across the U.S. They loved to return to the central California coast often; one of their favorite places for a quiet getaway was in Morro Bay.
Richard’s health had declined in the last year; after a recent rebound, he suffered a setback. He passed away in peace and surrounded by loving family early on the morning of Oct. 22, with some of his favorite music playing. He is survived by his wife, Claudia, daughter, Laura, and son, Daniel; his sister, Sylvia, his mother-in-law, Lynn Lowe, his son-in-law, Osvaldo, and daughter-in-law, Sheela; and granddaughters Quisqueya and Ixchel.
A celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 at the Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue in Goleta. In lieu of flowers, please give to the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation or the Santa Barbara Surfrider Foundation.