California music educator Albert Lopez was also a US veteran. Photo credit: Legacy.com

Many fine educators also serve their country in the military. One of these was Albert Lopez, a music educator from California who devoted many years to students as a junior high school and high school band director.

Al was born on Nov. 26, 1934, in Delano, California. At a young age, he decided to take piano lessons. Following his graduation from Delano High School in 1953, Al served his country for four years in the United States Navy. He was stationed at Point Magu where he specialized in air traffic control.

After leaving the military, Al took a full-time job at the US Post Office, and enrolled in Drake University. There he earned a Master’s degree in Music Education in 1962. He relocated to Iowa and inaugurated his career as a music educator, teaching high school and junior high school bands, while also directing and choreographing the marching band at the high school hall-time football games. In 1965, he returned to California, and continued his career as a teacher at Upland Junior High School, where he taught band and mathematics.

In 1974, Al also launched a career as a real estate agent, and in the early 1980s he supllemented his work in the teaching profession to establish his business as a tax preparer. He became a fiduciary, and expanded his business to provide retirement and investment consulting. He was engaged in this work for the next 44 years. In 2018, Al retired from his business.

This accomplished Chalkboard Champion realized a number of personal projects. He became a private pilot, enjoyed road trips on his motorcycle, designed and built landscape masonry, mastered snow skiing and river rafting, and traveling extensively.

Sadly, Albert Lopez retired from his business and other activities because he developed dementia in his later years. He passed away on Sept. 6, 2023, in Alta Loma, California.