This is the video that was played at Victoria's memorial service, held on Saturday May 30, 2015 at NorthCoast Church in Carlsbad California. The slideshow was created by Dana, Victoria's daughter in law, with a song elected by Victoria's longtime friend and co-worker, Penny. The song is: "For Good" by Kristin Chenoweth, recorded in 2003.
A Higher Love.
As a young boy, I can remember driving with my mother on her way to work. She played her favorite song everytime we made the drive, and it’s resonated in my head over the years, everytime I’ve heard it playing. It wasn’t until yesterday when I was desperately attempting to process my mother’s unexpected passing that I decided to read the lyrics. I can still see the smile on her face, clear as day, turning the radio up and singing with me while we made our way through the windy mountain roads of Utah. The feeling evoked by that track, combined with being surrounded by her incredible love and energy, sums up the euphoric feeling of love that she constantly extended to the people in her life. The lyrics that jumped off the page yesterday hit me like a ton of bricks:
"Think about it, there must be higher love. Down in the heart and in the stars above. Without it, life is wasted time."
My mother searched for higher love throughout her life, and through her faith, she found it on a daily basis. Her faith allowed her to give and love, far beyond the point that could be expected of any other person. This higher love filled her heart of hearts, and it came out everytime anyone around her was in a time of need. She gave, and gave, and then gave some more, never expecting anything return, and was always working her hardest to pull the best out of people that would have been written off by all accounts if they were dealing with anyone of than my mother.
By all accounts Victoria LouEllen Lopez faced extraordinary challenges at every stage of her life, from childhood through to her passing, and at every stage, she persevered.
Born on March 8, 1949 in the California Hospital Medical Centre in Downtown Los Angeles, Victoria LouEllen Lopez faced character-forming challenges from a very early age. She knew the hard road all too well by the time she was a teenager, and the valuable lessons of humility, hard work and perseverance would guide her major life decisions throughout her adult life. As a young adult she chose to not accept what life was handing her, but to go out and make her own way in the world, to live the life that she knew would be best. She did this with 3 young boys in tow, for which she would bear the majority of the responsibility - emotionally, financially, and spiritually, faithfully supporting all 3 well into their adult lives. As a grown man, raising two children alongside an incredible wife, my respect and admiration for what my mother went through during our early years has increased exponentially. Raising children is difficult at the best of times, and the strength that my mother exuded when the times were the toughest in her life reveal a depth of character that was simply divine.
Work Ethics
I remember as a young teenager, living with my mother on Oahu in Hawaii. She was project managing the renovation of a major department store @Ala Moana, one of the biggest shopping malls in the world. Mornings always began early for her, rising at 4:30 am to go to work everyday. The catch was, this time she was waking me up to teach me some early lessons about what hard work was all about. I don’t think that the thought of letting me lay around on my summer holidays had ever entered her mind. It was time for her son to learn about waking up before the crack of dawn, doing physical labor alongside grown men, and making your way in a world where nothing is ever handed to you. I remember laying in bed next to her before the sun would rise everyday, the coffee brewing with music playing gently, thinking to myself how much it sucked to be waking up at that time to do anything, let alone go to work. And the very next thought, was the fact that my mother had been doing this for years! I couldn’t believe at that time how strong she was, nor how I would make it through the summer. That respect went through the roof when I arrived on the job site and realized that my mother was the senior project manager, and that all of the tradesman and superintendents onsite were reporting to her. She got along with them like you couldn’t believe, and they respected her on every level. My mom was making her way on the hard road again, as a female in a male dominated industry where she was becoming massively successful. Respect.
Although my mother was handed the hard road, as many are early in life, in later
life she consciously chose it, as in her heart of hearts, she knew it was the right thing to do. Caring for those less fortunate in consistent acts kindness, love, and compassion were the norm for her. She gave so much, so often and so unconditionally, that many people around her could easily be forgiven for thinking that she actually owed them something. Her giving was the emotional, spiritual, and financial foundation of our family, and many other people’s lives. Even in the face of unappreciation and disrespect, her love, kindess and compassion never waived. It was at this point that her true character was always revealed. She did not give, in hopes of getting anything in return, she gave because that’s who she was. She was constantly seeing the potential in everyone around her, and doing her best to get the best out of everyone. She was an exemplary leader, an astute businesswoman, a provider, a role model, a loving mother, and an incredible example of a higher love.
My mother will be forever in my heart, and I’ve made a promise to both her and myself to live out the remainder of my days in a way that will pay respect and honor the ways in which she lived, through her faith, her love, and her generosity, until I join her finally one day, in the kingdom of heaven where she is patiently looking down upon us and waiting for me now.
This is the very last time that I saw my mother before her passing, and it has become my favorite photo of her and I. We went to dinner at my favorite steak restaurant in Australia, the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Brisbane, Queensland. I was so happy to be able to take her and Wayne there as it's one of my very favorites. My Mom and Wayne were flying out to Hawaii and back to California after staying with us for 3 weeks in Australia for Christmas and New Years, one of the best trips we've ever had together. I'm so thankful we were able to spend the time that we did over the holidays, it was an amazing trip and we were planning another one for June. I love you always and forever Mom. -Josh
http://www.breakfastcreekhotel.com/history
