Lopez, Margarita T. (Mrs. Omar Sr.) 1937-2024

LOPEZ, PONCE, GARCIA

Posted By: Marjorie Brunsting-Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/6/2024 at 14:53:57

Ms. Margarita T. Lopez, age 86, of Orange City, passed away on Thursday, February 8, 2024, at the Orange City Area Health System in Orange City.

The family is hosting a celebration of her life on Wednesday, February 14, from 7:30pm to 8:30pm, at the Prairie Ridge Care Center in Orange City.

Margarita was born on October 17, 1937 in Cienfuegos, Cuba, the youngest daughter of seven, born to Rosa Ponce and Obdulio Garcia. At the age of one, she contracted polio and went on to survive multiple surgeries. She did not let this stop her, instead taught herself to roller skate and drive a car even though everyone told her she couldn’t. She was raised in Cienfuegos and lived with her family in Havana, Cuba. She worked for the Ministry of Defense of Cuba as a secretary and performed as an opera singer in local venues in Cienfuegos.

In her twenties, she was united in marriage to Omar Lopez, Sr. They were married in Cienfuegos and went on to have three beautiful children, who were her pride and joy. In the year of 1966, she moved to Madrid, Spain with her husband, two eldest children and her mother, where they waited for a year for their United States residency. For several years they lived in New Jersey, where their third child was born. In the seventies, she and her family moved to California where she resided for forty-one years until moving to Prairie Ridge Care Center, in Orange City, Iowa.

She worked as a professional seamstress creating articles of clothing including; wedding, bridesmaid, prom and quinceañera dresses and even made her daughter Cary’s dream wedding dress. She enjoyed playing dominos, crafting, organizing, cooking Cuban food, and spending time with family and friends. A tremendous joy entered her life when she gave her heart to Jesus at the age of 51. She would go on to share the Good News with anyone willing to hear it. She was known to pray for others and show deep care and love. This example won her the hearts of many, young or old. She loved well and was always willing to give others her heart of friendship. This gift of relationships was especially evident among her grandchildren who deeply loved her and considered her their secret keeper. She will always be most remembered for her faith and deep love of Jesus Christ, her Lord.

Survivors include her children, Blanca Thacker of Las Vegas, Nevada; Omar and his wife Ana Lopez of Anaheim, California; and Cary and her husband Eddie Valdes of Orange City, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Elise, Joshua, Joeel, Anthony, Amanda, Ariel and Gabrielle; seven great-grandchildren; a brother, Antonio and his wife Georgina Garcia of California; and a sister, Sava Garcia of California.

The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, remembrances be made in the form of contributions to Prairie Ridge Care Center.

Source: Oolman Funeral Home online obituary.