Charles Ray Lopez Jr.

Charles Ray Lopez Jr., 75, of Santa Fe, NM, passed away on the morning of Saturday, January 10, 2026, at his home in Santa Fe, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. Charles was born in Raton, NM, on February 26, 1950. He was raised in Santa Fe, NM, and was the youngest of six children. Charles attended Alvord Elementary School, B.F. Young Middle School and Santa Fe High School, as well as New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM, where he met the love of his life, his wife of 42 years, Phyllis Lopez (nee Martinez). After graduating, Charles returned to Santa Fe and worked evenings tending bar at his family’s restaurant, Maria’s, while he began a career in teaching. He taught at both St. Anne’s Catholic School and St. Michael’s High School, where he also coached basketball and football. Charles continued to support youth sports for much of his life, coaching and sponsoring teams in the Santa Fe Metro League, as well as coaching his son’s elementary school basketball team. After several years in teaching, Charles began a new career as an Insurance Agent for the Franklin Life Insurance Company, staying with the company after it was purchased by American General and later AIG. Charles was an incredibly successful salesman, regularly earning awards in recognition of his sales achievements and qualifying for the company’s top sales conferences. Charles was deeply passionate about music throughout his life, and was a talented singer and keyboardist who played in bands for over 40 years, performing countless gigs with Nightline Express and The Wiseguys on the Santa Fe Plaza, as well as local bar gigs, weddings, graduations, etc. Charles was a devoted husband who cared selflessly for his wife throughout her battle with cancer, a loving father who was a constant source of love and support in the lives of his children, and a caring grandfather who loved nothing more than spending time with his grandchildren. He was the life of every party with a magnetic personality and an uncanny ability to make every person he spoke to feel like the most important person in the world. A child at heart, Charles was blessed with a boyish charm, a sharp wit, an infectious laugh, and impeccable comedic timing. He spent his entire life bringing music, laughter and joy to everyone he encountered, and very few among us will ever touch half as many lives as he did.

He was preceded in death by his wife and soulmate, Phyllis Lopez (nee Matinez), as well as his parents, Charles Lopez and Mary (nee Fresquez); his sisters, Donna and Mary; brothers-in-law, Donald and Arturo; and sisters-in-law Matilda, Gloria and Cathy. He is survived by his daughter, Vicki (Patrick) and son, Danny; his grandchildren, Xander, Tracy and Vinny; his brothers, Don (Dolores) and Manuel; his sister, Nancy; his brothers-in-law, David (Anna), Mike (Debbie), Pat, Albert and Chris (JoDee); as well as numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. 

A rosary and funeral mass will be held at St. Anne Parish on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 9:00am, with burial to follow at Rosario Cemetery.