Ezequiel A. Lopez, age 85 of Valparaiso passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family Thursday, July 11, 2013. He was a longtime resident of Valparaiso. Ezequiel was born on January 1, 1928 in Brownsville, Texas to the late Juan and Josephina Lopez. He served his country in the U.S. Army. Ezequiel retired in 1985 from Inland Steel after 32 years of service. He was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene of Portage. Ezequiel had a great sense of humor and enjoyed telling jokes, traveling, gardening, dancing, country music, fishing, farming, swimming, golfing, and billiards. He enjoyed baseball and was a White Sox fan. His favorite tv shows were, Archie Bunker, Andy Griffith, MASH, and Westerns.

He is survived by 4 children, John Lopez of Kansas City, MO; Viola (Kenneth) Tharp of Portage, IN; Robert (Emilda) Lopez of Sunnyvale, CA; Albert "Al" (Cynthia) Anders of Germantown, MD; 1 brother, Santos Lopez of Crown Point, IN; 7 grandchildren, 9 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Lopez, 2 brothers, Jesus and Matias Lopez, 2 sisters, Aurora De La Fuente, and Luisa Contreras.

Visitation will be Sunday, July 14, 2013 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Rees Funeral Home, Olson Chapel, 5341 Central Ave., Portage. Private burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. Call (219) 942-2109 or visit us online at www.Reesfuneralhomes.com.