[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 185 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING RONNIE LOPEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GREG STANTON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 27, 2020

  Mr. STANTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of 
Ronnie Lopez, who passed away on Sunday, August 23, 2020, at the age of 
73. Ronnie was an Arizona trailblazer; a champion for the Latino 
community; and a consequential leader who broke economic, social, and 
political barriers to forge a stronger path forward for our state.
  Born in the spring of 1947, in Miami, Arizona, Ronnie was quick to 
seize new opportunities and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, at the age of 
20, where he investigated discrimination cases for the Arizona State 
Civil Rights Commission. Ronnie's passion for public service took many 
forms--from helping launch influential organizations, such as Chicanos 
Por La Causa and Valle del Sol, to serving as a Justice of the Peace 
and eventually becoming the chief of staff to then-Governor Bruce 
Babbitt. He was always at the forefront of change, breathing life into 
ideas conceived from the purpose of placing people above all else.
  Ronnie cherished his role as a father, grandfather, and husband--and 
to him, family extended beyond relatives to include friends and 
neighbors, and he wove those values deeply within his work to 
strengthen the bonds within our community. He committed himself to the 
causes and people he believed in, meeting every opportunity ``all in,'' 
as he would say. It's what made him unique--a leader who stood with us 
regardless of the challenge, the friend we could count on, and the 
mentor we all looked up to. Ronnie's relentless advocacy was 
inimitable, and it led to his lifelong friend, the late Representative 
Ed Pastor, being elected as the first Hispanic American to represent 
Arizona in Congress. While Ronnie credited others for his successes, 
insisting he stood on the shoulders of giants, he was always the first 
hand to reach out and lift others up with him.
  His legacy will forever be a part of Arizona, reminding us of how 
much stronger we all stand when we are ``all in.'' I thank Ronnie, and 
Godspeed.

                          ____________________