Jesus Mario López

Courtesy photo

+ Enlarge

Jesus Mario López

July 31, 1937 ~ May 12, 2025

Mario, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend passed away at the age of 87 on May 12, 2025, in Murray with his family by his side. He was born July 31, 1937 in a small coal mining town in Chandler, Colorado to Mary Gonzales and Jesus Flores López. 

He grew up in Price, Utah, where he attended Notre Dame Catholic School and graduated from Carbon High School in 1956. He served in the Army Reserves at age 17 with Company B, 383rd Infantry Regiment, 96th Infantry Division, and then pursued a music degree at Weber State University in Ogden.

During his military service Mario was stationed in Schwabach, Germany and assigned to active-duty assignments with Troop A, 2nd Recon Squad, 15th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Armored Division along the Czechoslovakian border from 1959-1960. In 1961, he returned home, where he met and married the love of his life, Shirley Ludeen Feichko on August 25, 1962, in the Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church in Price and returned to Carbon Junior College later that fall. He retired from Semi-Service in sales and service. 

Mario served as a charter member of Blessed Sacrament Knight of Columbus Council 6966 Corpus Christi as a 3rd Degree Knight. As an artist, Mario oil painted numerous religious paintings that hang in Catholic churches in Utah and the Philippines. Mario played saxophone in the Jimmy Dart Dance Band and the Rocky Mountain Polka Express during Oktoberfest in Snowbird, Utah in the mid ’80s to early ’90s. He played numerous musical instruments by ear and even composed his own music. 

He worked for several companies in Utah and surrounding states. Mario is survived by his beloved wife of almost 63 years, Shirley Ludeen Feichko López; his children Stephan T. Valenzuela (Silver), Nick A. López (Rosa Ponce Cornejo), Vincent M. López (Joyce Trent), Carmen T. Voegeli, Carlos J.F. López (Christy Carlson), Tina M. Rivera (Angel), Alexis A. Witt, Rocky J. López (Jackie Jakeman), and Roman López (Penina Fitiao); 21 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his siblings Maggie McFadden, Toni Jarvi, Mary Zilliox and Lydia Burrola; Aunt Vera Garcia Gonzales; goddaughter Christy Lynn López Lambson; numerous nieces, nephews and cousins; and his lifelong loyal friend, best man Teddy Marakis, whom he considered to be family.

He was preceded in death by his parents Jesus Flores and Mary Gonzales López; his maternal grandparents Pedro Garcia Gonzales and Guadalupe De La Cruz Gonzales; paternal grandparents Francisco López and Rosario López; siblings Maria Del Rosario López, Maria Elvira López, Victor Manuel López, Alexander Pete López, Joe Plato López, Carol Belen Stevenson, Steve López, Diego Francisco (Frank) López; and son-in-law, Dean Patrick Witt.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on May 17, 2025 at Notre Dame de Lourdes Catholic Church. Price. Interment took place at Cliffview Cemetery.