Despina “Dorothy” Lopez, 86, of Jersey City; was born in the small village of Chrisokefalos, Greece, and entered into eternal rest on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Dorothy came to America with her mother through Ellis Island at the age of five. She grew up in Downtown Jersey City and attended #37 School and Ferris High School. She loved these three places with all her heart and spoke often of all of them. Dorothy loved her precious Jersey City and America with tremendous ferocity and conviction. She was a real patriot. Dorothy’s heart was as big as the sun and the moon and the stars. She was a true character in every sense of the word. She lived always with real faith in God. Dorothy adored her husband, Sonny, and her children, Jodi and Michael, absolutely. She lived with her daughter, Jodi and her beloved son-in-law, Stephan until she passed. The fun and laughs and love they enjoyed together during the last years of Dorothy’s life cannot even be described. Dorothy knew she was truly loved, and she will be missed so very, very much.
Dorothy is survived by her children, Jodi Drennan and her husband Stephan, and Michael McDonough and his wife, Maureen; her husband, Louis “Sonny” Lopez; her beloved grandchildren and great grandchildren, Rosie, Mary Kate, Brandon, Emma, Luke, Braden and Oliver. Dorothy is predeceased in life by her parents, Sofia and Stavros; and three brothers, Nicholas, Christopher and John, and her uncle, John. She is also survived by many loving nieces and nephews, extended family and many friends.
Visitation for Dorothy is Tuesday, March 9, 2021 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Riotto Funeral Home & Cremation Company, 3205 John F. Kennedy Blvd. Jersey City. (For GPS navigation it is best to use our parking lot address: 14 Stagg Street). Trisagion will be offered during visitation at 5:00PM. Funeral is Wednesday, March 10, 2021 beginning at 10:00 AM at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 524 Summit Ave. Jersey City. Interment will follow at Hillside Cemetery, Lyndhurst. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to the Shriner’s Hospital for Children (donate.lovetotherescue.org) or to the Tunnel To Towers Foundation (tunnel2towers.org), benefiting wounded veterans and their families.