Vicente Lopez
Memorial for Vicente Lopez, Descansa en Páz
By Benny Rios DonJuan
Vicente Lopez, known as "Lopez" to the people he interacted with in Stateville, was a good man. However, his passing seemed to go unnoticed in our community here at Stateville, which is why I felt it was necessary to write this memorial on his behalf. I met Vicente over a decade ago when he was housed in E-house. He was a "paisa," a term attributed to Latinos who only speak spanish; if anything it's a term of endearment. He was an elder, always serious, he minded his own business, and was always willing to to help others out.
I witnessed his generosity when this younger paisa named Carlos became his celly. At the time, Vicente still had his family nearby and they showed support by visiting him, sending money, etc. Carlos, a Mexican immigrant himself, on the other hand did not have any friends or family nearby to show him any outside support. Being the goodhearted man that Vicente was, he basically adopted this fellow paisa into his family. He introduced Carlos to his family and they supported him the same way they supported Vicente. They came to visit him, accepted his phone calls, sent him money, and even offered him a place to live upon his release. I saw these selfless acts from Vicente as admirable and his goodness left a lasting impact on my life. He was a good friend.
Early on during the first couple of months of the pandemic, Vicente, was one of at least twelve prisoners to succumb to Covid-19 within a span of a few weeks. It was a scary time here at Stateville. At five or six people perished from the cellhouse that I am located in among the twelve that died at that time. Eventually we began receiving news about brothers who perished from other cellhouses throughout the joint due to the virus. However, news about Vicente didn't reach me until months later. I happened to speak to someone about who passed away and he mentioned that "Lopez" passed away.
Unfortunately, over time Vicente lost touch with his support system once his family moved out of Illinois, some of them back to Mexico. Since he and I were located in different cellhouses, we would rarely see each other. However, when we did run into each other we would catch up on things. This is how I found out that he wasn't getting the support that he used to get from his family like before. He never asked anyone for anything, so I always told him to write out a list of things that he needed so that I could send it to him. It was easier this way because he never had to ask me for anything. He always tried to pay me back, but I'd decline repayment. If it were the other way around, he'd do the same for me and anyone else who needed help.
I don't know if his family was ever notified about his passing. I don't know if they had the chance to claim his body. And I don't know if he was mourned and remembered. Dying in prison, especially without any form of support, is one of the most inhumane ways to die. I do want to point out that Vicente was a good person who held himself accountable for his actions. He is someone that I prayed for when he was alive, and I still pray for his loved ones. I want to honor his life and I want people to remember him as a good man long after his death. As long as I live he will always be remembered.
