Carmelo Lopez Jr.

Carmelo “Carl” Lopez Jr, age 69, passed away peacefully on June 6, 2025, surrounded by family, a stack of comic books, and the distant sound of a sonic screwdriver. A lifelong nerd and proud of it, Carl boldly went into that realm where imagination meets heart.

Carl was born on September 12, 1955 in Gary, IN to Judy Quinones and Carmelo Lopez. Raised by a single mom and with three sisters, he grew up in Chicago and joined the Marines. He was the beloved pain-in-the-butt brother of Zayda Diaz, Dianne Crespo, and Sonia (George) Kalfas – the trio who took none of his nonsense and matched his sarcasm beat for beat.

He was a devoted father to Jenny Lopez (Peter Strickland), Nysa Lopez, and Andrea Robertson (Ronnie), who grew up with a father that exposed them to the endless worlds of sci-fi/fantasy, comic book conventions, John Wayne movies, computer games, and the belief that you can never watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” too many times at Christmas. They learned that they are better doors than windows and that they could be strong women, because there was no alternative not to be.

His favorite role was that of Grandpa to Ty Lacy, Sophia Robertson, Maddie Robertson, Sebby Strickland, and AJ Robertson. He eagerly followed their adventures, delighted in their discoveries, and took great pleasure in their parent-defying antics. He was also the fun-loving, comic-quoting, dice-rolling legend to his many nieces and nephews; whether guiding them through their first D&D campaign, making sure their understood the morality of Captain Kirk, or the timey-wimey wisdom of The Doctor.

Carl leaves behind a galaxy of memories filled with laughter, love, and eye-rolls. He taught us to embrace the weird, champion the underdog, and always roll for initiative.