Joseph W. Lopez, 74, of Belle Vernon, passed away on Tuesday, March 20, 2018. Born on November 9, 1943, he was the son of the late Frank and Grace (Weir) Lopez. He was preceded in death by a baby brother, Joey, in 1942; and older brother, Tony, in 2004. In 1970, he married Marjorie Demko, and they were blessed with three children, Joe (Kat), of Charleroi, Laura (Sean), of Belle Vernon, and Frank (Kristy), of Belle Vernon. They have four grandchildren, Gianna Maria and Antonio Martin Lorenzo, and Grace Victoria and Vincenzo Joseph Lopez. He is also survived by three sisters-in-laws, Maryann Demko, of Florida, Joni (Gordon) Pavtis, of Arizona, and Sharon Brunetti of Detroit, MI. Mr. Lopez graduated from Bellmar High School, class of 1961, where he excelled in football, basketball, and baseball. He was inducted into the BVA Football Hall of Fame in 2003. After graduation, Mr. Lopez attended California University and West Virginia University where he earned his bachelor's and master’s degrees in education. He coached little league and Bronco leagues in the Belle Vernon area, winning many championships. Lopez took his 1976 Bronco All Star team to the Bronco World Series in New Bedford, Massachusetts, losing to the best team in the World Series Finals. Mr. Lopez served as a member of the BVA school board and on the Recreation Boards of Community. He also served on the municipal authority of Belle Vernon for many years as president and vice president. Mr. Lopez was a P.I.A.A. official in football, basketball, baseball, and softball. For thirty-five years, he worked many W.P.I.A.L. tournament games and altogether, officiated nearly 5,000 games in his career. He also served as president of the Mon Valley Officials for twelve years. He was a Democratic Committee member in both North Belle Vernon and Belle Vernon for many years. He officiated youth football, basketball, and baseball games in the Belle Vernon communities for many years often for little or no payment. He belonged to the E.B.V.A.A. and the Naomi A.C. Lifetime Organizations. Joseph was a part-time volunteer for Meals on Wheels. He was a member of the Saint Sebastian Church his entire life where he belonged to the C.Y.O. and Holy Name Societies serving as president for both. Mr. Lopez served as an usher at Saint Sebastian’s for fifty-four years. He was elected to the very first Parish council in Saint Sebastian’s where he served in the finance committee. Mr. Lopez taught in the Ringgold School District for thirty-five years, taught at Caster School, Donora and Finley Junior High schools, and Carroll Junior High. His discipline was reading and literature. He was also very active as a coach in Ringgold. He coached football, basketball, track in both the junior high and high school. He coached both the boys and girls in basketball and track where he was the first girl’s coach at Ringgold High School in the 1970’s. His boys’ basketball teams were renowned as they won eighteen section championships in thirty-two years. He was often given credit for molding Ringgold's powerful, section-winning teams of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. He finished his athletic career as retiring with four hundred fourteen wins. Many of his former players went on to play ball in college, some reaching great heights in life. His former athletes, both boys and girls, always hugged “coach” when they would run into him in later years. He always adored his former students. In retirement, Mr. Lopez enjoyed reading, gardening, and traveling . He preferred to read biographies and autobiographies of famous people. He loved to grow beautiful vegetables in his garden which he gave most of to his close friends and family. Mr. Lopez also loved Pittsburgh sports teams. He loved to sit on his “veranda” at night and watch his favorite team play. He and his beloved wife, Marjorie, of forty-seven years traveled extensively and their favorite destination was Aruba where they traveled many times. Friends will be received from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 24, and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 25, in his son's funeral home, CARL J. SPALLINO FUNERAL HOME, 819 Fallowfield Ave., Charleroi, Joseph A. Lopez, Funeral Director. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. on Monday, at St Sebastian Roman Catholic Church with interment following in Belle Vernon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Mr. Lopez asks that donations be given to Meals on Wheels Programs.
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