Dolores Mary (Rodriguez) Lopez, age 98, of Ojai, passed away on May 8, 2022, at The Continuing Care Center at Ojai Valley Community Hospital with her children in her presence.
Dolores was born April 7, 1924 in the Santa Ana Valley (Ojai) to Jose Maria Ricardo Rodriguez and Juana Beatriz Chapman, life long residents. Dolores was proud to come from a great California heritage. She is the descendant of Joseph Chapman; well known and identified with the California missions. He was responsible for the building of the grist mills at Santa Ines and San Gabriel.
She attended Nordhoff High School and graduated in 1942.
She enjoyed all forms of embroidery, but was very fond of Brazilian embroidery, painting, crochet, reading and singing in the church choir.
She was a “ Rosie the Riveter” working for Hughes Aircraft in Santa Barbara and McDonnell Douglas Aircraft company in Long Beach during WWII. She later worked for the Ojai Unified School District as a bi-lingual aide. She was involved in the establishment of the St. Thomas Aquinas school. Actively involved in St. Thomas Aquinas church; one of the first appointed Eucharistic ministers and a member of the church choir. She also was a founding member of the Mexican Fiesta with her late husband Manuel.
Dolores is preceded in death by her husband Manuel M. Lopez, brothers Paul, Bob, Bill, Ray, and George; sisters, Angie, Sil, Katherine and Caroline.
She is survived by her sons, Marshall M. Lopez of Oxnard, John P. Lopez of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Christopher L. Lopez of Ojai and Michael R. Lopez of Ojai; daughters, Anne Marie Lopez of Ventura, and Theresa Morgan of Oxnard; brother Joe Rodriguez of Riverbank; sisters, Florence Christopher of Ukiah, Dorothy Baer of Santa Maria, and Carmen Encinas of Oregon; 12 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Family and friends are invited to visiting hours from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, 2022 in the JOSEPH P. REARDON FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICE, 757 E. Main Street, Ventura, with a Most Holy Rosary being recited at 6 p.m. in the Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 20, 2022 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai. Interment will follow at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, Ventura.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to your favorite charity.
The family wishes to extend their deepest gratitude to all the caregivers at The Continuing Care Center at Ojai Valley Community Hospital and to Livingston Hospice for the wonderful care provided to our mother.