Pete Edward Lopez | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Peter Lopez, beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, friend and artist passed away peacefully on March 14, 2025, surrounded by his family and his partner, Judy. He was a kind and loving man of great warmth, creativity and passion for life. His sense of joy was contagious and his love for his family and friends was unwavering. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him. His legacy will live on through his artwork and through the many lives he touched as a friend, a teacher and an artist.

    Peter was born on May 14, 1940, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. He served in the US Marine Corps in Okinawa after graduating from high school. His time in the service led him eventually to Los Angeles, California where his two daughters, Kathy and Yvette were born. Upon returning to New Mexico, he graduated from the University of New Mexico with a BA in Art Education.

    He eventually devoted himself to his artwork full time and exhibited throughout New Mexico until his passing. His work was a heartfelt representation of his cultural and spiritual roots. In his artist's statement he said: "I paint sacred art portraying 18th and 19th-century imagery of holy personages. My retablos, reredos and bultos represent traditional religious images of our Catholic saints unique to my New Mexican heritage. By commingling traditional New Mexican, Mexican baroque and Spanish Provincial styles, I attempt to create art forms which express the beauty of the spiritual faith of my ancestors."

    Peter's artwork earned him numerous awards throughout his life including First Place for Large Retablos Spanish Colonial Traditional Arts Market in 2001 and 2006; First Place for best Gesso and Wood Relief Carving, Spanish Colonial Arts Market in 1999; and Second Place for Painted Bultos, Spanish Colonial Arts Market, 2002 among many others.

    Two of Peter's proudest accomplishments were his creation of El Campesino, a fourteen-foot sculpture carved from a tree on the historic Las Vegas, New Mexico plaza. This monumental sculpture, dedicated in May 2013, honors farm workers and the Tri-County Farmer's Market and is a testament to Peter's deep connection to the land and people of New Mexico. A second was his authorship of a beautiful little book entitled Edward O' Brien, Mural Artist, 1910-1975. He researched diligently and wrote this book to revive interest in the contributions of Edward O'Brien's life and mural art.

    Peter's passion for his homeland extended beyond his artwork. Generally accompanied by a beloved dog, he explored and relished the beauty of nature in the mountains of his Northern New Mexico surroundings. His warm hospitality was legendary. He cherished the lifelong friends and happy memories he made while living in his Montezuma cabin.

    He is survived by his life partner, Judy Land of Washington, North Carolina; his sister, Lenore Bockbrader and her husband Calvin Bockbrader of The Villages, Florida; his brother, Dan Lopez of Peralta, https://seat.rpi.gov.bd/ New Mexico, and his daughters: Kathy Gouveia and her husband Marcos of Sacramento, California, and Yvette Navarro of Sherman Oaks, California. He is survived also by five grandsons: Michael Blondin and his wife Evelyn of Maricopa, Arizona; Jorge (JJ) Medina and Robert Gouveia of Sacramento, California; Nicholas Navarro and Matthew Navarro of Sherman Oaks, California; and his two great grandsons, Michael Blondin II and Marcelo Blondin of Maricopa, Arizona.

    A memorial service will be planned in Montezuma, New Mexico at a date yet to be determined.

    Condolences may be addressed to the family online by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com

    Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington, NC is honored to serve the Lopez family.