ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona city pays respects to retired firefighter who died of COVID-19

Dec 15, 2020, 4:45 AM | Updated: 3:10 pm

Retired Globe firefighter D.J. Lopez left behind five daughters when he died of COVID-19 on Dec. 10...

Retired Globe firefighter D.J. Lopez left behind five daughters when he died of COVID-19 on Dec. 10, 2020. (Courtesy Photo/Vanessa Zupancic)

(Courtesy Photo/Vanessa Zupancic)

PHOENIX – D.J. Lopez will be remembered as a family man who was born to serve others.

After a lost battle with COVID-19, his Arizona city ensured that the 51-year-old retired firefighter’s legacy was remembered.

Lopez was transported from a Phoenix hospital back home to Globe on Saturday with a line-of-duty death procession, with the whole town waiting to pay their respects.

Despite the heartbreak brought on by Lopez’s death, his family continues to smile and honor his larger-than-life personality.

“He would give the shirt off his back to anyone, and he made friends anywhere he went,” Vanessa Zupancic, one of Lopez’s five daughters, said as she described how her father lived to take care of others.

And those friends showed up for him following his death.

The Globe Fire Department arranged the procession from Valleywise Health Medical Center, where Lopez died Thursday, to Globe, about 90 miles east of Phoenix.

“Seeing the entire town stand still and honor my dad was amazing,” Zupancic said. “To see the magnitude of how many people knew my dad, loved my dad, and how many people he has affected was amazing.”

Lopez served over two decades on the Globe Fire Department before retiring as a captain in 2016.

After retirement, Lopez continued to serve others as he went to work in a local hospital on the San Carlos Reservation.

“That was his life,” Zupancic said.

Lopez helped install coronavirus protocols at the hospital and worked inside the COVID-19 unit until he contracted the virus Nov. 14.

On Thanksgiving Day, he took a turn for the worse and was flown to Valleywise Health by helicopter.

Two weeks later, his family said their final goodbyes to him on a video chat as he remained intubated.

“That is something I never want anyone to ever experience,” Zupancic said.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

A teenager was fatally wounded in a shooting on Oct. 30, 2024, according to the Phoenix Police Depa...

KTAR.com

Police trying to identify suspect after teen killed in south Phoenix shooting

Police are trying to identify a suspect in a south Phoenix shooting that claimed the life of a teenager earlier this week.

6 hours ago

Apache County Attorney Michael Whiting...

Associated Press

Apache County Attorney has salary stripped, law license suspended

The Apache County Attorney who faces criminal charges of misusing public funds will be stripped of his salary just days before standing unopposed for reelection as a Democrat.

8 hours ago

Maricopa County employees...

Associated Press

Maricopa County employees taking on extra shifts to help process early ballots

Maricopa County employees are taking on extra shifts to help election workers with an around-the-clock operation to process early ballots that are an unusually long two pages.

9 hours ago

Phoenix Children's...

Angela Gonzales/Phoenix Business Journal

Phoenix Children’s walks away from giant health insurance contract

Phoenix Children's, one of the nation's largest pediatric health systems, turned down an $80 million offer from one of Arizona's largest health insurers in a heated contract dispute.

11 hours ago

Judge gavel and baby crib...

Payne Moses

Suspect arrested 38 years after sexual assault, kidnapping case opened in Phoenix

After 38 years, a suspect accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a Phoenix toddler was identified and arrested.

12 hours ago

Follow @Ali_Vetnar...

Sponsored Content by Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Why a Heating Tune-Up is Essential Before Winter

PHOENIX, AZ — With cooler weather on the horizon, making sure your heating system is prepped and ready can make all the difference in staying comfortable this winter.

Sponsored Articles

...

Collins Comfort Masters

Collins Comfort Masters: Leading the Way in HVAC and Plumbing Services in Arizona

Tempe, AZ – Since its inception in 1985, Collins Comfort Masters has been a cornerstone in the HVAC and plumbing industry in Phoenix and the surrounding Valley.

...

Dr. Shanyn Lancaster, Family & Sports Medicine physician, Midwestern University Comprehensive Care Clinic – Central Phoenix

Exercise is truly your best medicine

“You never slow down, you never grow old”. – Tom Petty

...

Sanderson Ford

3 storylines to get you revved up for the 2024 Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals training camp is just a couple weeks away starting on July 25, and Sanderson Ford is revved up and ready to go.

Arizona city pays respects to retired firefighter who died of COVID-19