Manuel Lopez

Services are scheduled for 10 am, Thursday, February 2 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church for Manuel Lopez of Artesia, New Mexico.

Mr. Lopez, 75, died on January 27, 2023 in Roswell, New Mexico.

Visitation will be at Terpening & Son Mortuary on Wednesday from 2 to 6 pm. A rosary is also scheduled for 9:30 am on Thursday. Burial will follow the services at Woodbine Cemetery with Military Honors.

Manuel was born August 11, 1947 in Artesia to Encarnacion and Estefana Lopez.

He graduated from Artesia High School in 1966. In 1967 he worked for Artesia Furniture until he enlisted in the United States Army. He was first stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas before arriving overseas in may of 1968. Once there he was stationed near Gross Sachsenheim, Germany. He was a member of Battery B, 3rd Battalion 71st Artillery, and 32nd Army Air Defense Command. Specialist Five Manuel Lopez also took part in an Army Air Defense Command "Short Notice Annual Practice" (SNAP) at the NAMFI Range on the Island of Crete. During his time in the Army, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Second Class Missileman Badge, and Sharpshooter M-14.

Upon his return to the States, he started working as manager for Wackers (Red W), then for American National, and teh Department of Labor for the Home Education Livelihood Program (HELP). In 1989 he started as a contractor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. Everyone there did not know him as Manuel, he was simply Manny. He then moved up to Range Master and then on to being a Contract Compliance Specialist for the Department of Homeland Security until he retired in 2020 after 31 years.

On October 30, 1971, he married Carmen Onsurez. They shared 51 years together and had four children. Manuel always said the trick to his lasting marriage was that he would take a week off and go deer hunting so that when he would come back Carmen would miss him. That's why every October, he would take his weekly hunting trip with his brother Enrique and son Eric.

Manuel loved hunting, fishing, drinking ice cold Budweiser, listening to Tejano music, spending time with his grandsons and attending all of their extracurricular activities.

Our Manuel, Tamalito, Manny, Brother, Dad and Popo is going to be deeply and severely missed but we are thankful for all the memories we have of him.

He was preceded in death by his parents Encarnacion and Estefana, grandparents Juan and Maria Lopez, Gonzalo Lopez, Father-in-law Gregorio Onsurez and daughter Graciela Lopez.

He is survived by his wife Carmen, children Eric, Manuel, and Rebecca and husband Pete Munoz. Grandchildren; Jason, Jeremiah, Damian, Pete Jr., Dominic, and Kandyce. Siblings: Enrique, Carlos, and Mary Helen.

Pallbearers will be Damian Lopez, Jeremiah Lopez, Pete Munoz, Hugo Aguirre, Eloy Aguirre, and Alfredo Solorzano. Honorary pallbearers are 3rd Battalion, 71st Artillery, 32nd Army Air Defense Command and all his fellow FLETC coworkers, his sons Eric and Manuel, and grandsons Pete Jr., Dominic, and Jason, brothers Enrique, Carlos, sister Mary Helen, cousin Orlando Lopez, and Conrado Alvarado.