Kenneth Lopez

Kenneth George Lopez passionate about politics to the exclusion of social interaction, stickler for all things conventional and staunch in his emotions, passed to his maker on Saturday January 25th, 2014 at 4:30 PM, at the age of 92, after a valiant attempt to remount himself to a vibrant life through a hip replacement.

Ken was born in Kingston, Jamaica to Linette Pinto and Brenton Lopez, May 31, 1921. He is survived by his sister, Dorothy Preston of Jamaica. Even when prodded, right up until the day he died, he never talked about his father, so we can only imagine what those early years were like. In his twenties, full of adventure and determination, he was commissioned as a Land Surveyor by the Jamaican Government to work on a project in Canada's northern Arctic. Bent on furthering his education, however, and not keen to return to the turmoil that was Jamaica and his home life in those years, Ken decamped to Toronto in 1948, where, at the age of 28, he enrolled in the University of Toronto, and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering - Class of 5T5. He was admitted into the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario in 1956, He excelled, due to his great deal of focus and desire to succeed and went on to complete his Master of Applied Science in Soil Mechanics in 1959. His career as an engineer defined him, made him proud and, yes, a bit snobby.

He wasn’t long in Toronto before he met a beguiling and talented young piano teacher, Edna (Gilmore) Roberton. He was immediately smitten with her and his adopted family, Esther (Maggie) Roberton (Edna’s mom), cousins Ruth Poyntz (Callen) and Florence and George Holmes, who embraced him like a brother.

He and Edna married in August, 1954. Howard arrived shortly after in January 1956. Nevertheless, it was without hesitation that he seized an opportunity and migrated to Sault Ste Marie for 7 years to fulfill his dream, his duty and his sense of community to play his part in building the Sault Ste. Marie Airport (a challenge considering it was built on a swamp), leaving his lovely wife and young son, Howard, in Toronto, a sacrifice he embraced nobly.

Ken maintained a long career with Transport Canada, Airport Division, logging 30 years of service and winding down that career at Pearson International Airport. He was active in the Masonic Order, (Mizpah Lodge #572) and served as a Trustee on the Etobicoke Board of Education for 2 years. Ken gave back financially too, by generously by fostering the talent of young and serious engineering students through the U of T Faculty of Engineering. The wall of his home office is filled with some 21 awards and Certificates of Appreciation, including 30 years of volunteer work, and many albums are filled with notes of recognition and thanks for his many efforts.

Tragedy struck in 1989 with the loss of his dear wife, hurling this stalwart, reserved man sideways and betraying the deep emotions he had always tucked away. It was only in 1997, when he met the young Sonia Atikian on an airplane, that he began to live again. He had been rescued by her love and, once again, took up the joys in his life, continuing to serve his profession through the Professional Engineers of Ontario (VP of PEO for 2 years) and his community through his activism.

He loved to grow red roses, sip a fine scotch or well aged rum, read the newspaper in lieu of conversation, watch the Jays run bases, cook rice and peas and rum punch - reminiscent of his homeland, wax assertively on politics, listen to jazz and play the piano, which he took up late in life and, true to form, accomplished a degree of proficiency. He was smart, disciplined, devoted and loved to exercise the rules. Despite his logical nature, he believed in God, who will undoubtedly welcome him now into the next Kingdom. He will be missed by his son, Howard Lopez (Pamela Keywan) and his treasured Sonia, who is adrift at sea without him.

Visitation will be held Thursday, January 30 at Ward Funeral Home (2035 Weston Rd, Toronto) 2-4 PM and 7-9 PM and service will be held at St. Philip’s Church, 31 St. Phillips Rd, Toronto, at 11 AM on Friday, January 31 (visitation at the Church at 10 AM) followed by interment and reception at St. Philip’s Parish Hall; all on the same grounds.