Jesse Guzman Lopez, Jr.

Jesse Guzman Lopez, Jr., age 79, passed away on June 12, 2025, in Dallas, Texas. He was born on September 29,1945, in Dallas, Texas to Jesse and Celia Lopez. Jesse was raised in Dallas. In 1964, he graduated from W. H. Adamson High School in Dallas. In 1969, he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from East Texas State University in Political Science.

In 1969, he entered the Eighth Army for two years. He served initially as a Legal Clerk working with classified documents at a missile base in New Jersey and later as staff procurement supervisor in Seoul Korea. Jesse supervised contracts with Korean businessmen for the procurement of goods and equipment for the U. S. Army. Jesse met Hyong Sun Chae in Seoul, Korea and they married in May 27,1971. He loved his wife for fifty years. He worked to ensure that Chae would be well loved and taking care of during his life and after his demise. He asked the family to continue to support Chae with love and care. As we love and honor Chae, we continue to love and honor Jesse.

When Jesse returned to the states, he served as assistant principal in Dallas Independent School District. He left DISD and began a small import business. Afterwards, he worked as a manager for The Color Place, a large commercial photo and graphic company. He and his wife started and operated a small café and concession business in an insurance building tower in Dallas. In 1994, he returned to DISD as a teacher and later was elected as the Executive Director for the Classroom Teachers of Dallas. In these years, he was the principal administrative leader for the Classroom Teachers of Dallas. He worked as advocate for teacher rights and improving working conditions. As Executive Director he also worked with Texas State Teachers Association, the National Education Association, the DISD Superintendent and School Board. Jesse worked with other professional associations to facilitate various programs and endeavors, including the passage of multimillion dollar Bond proposal for DISD, impacting the construction of new schools and renovation of facilities. After serving as Executive Director for CTD, he returned to teaching. He taught at Townview High School Magnet and Harry Stone Montessori Middle School in DISD. He retired from DISD in 2020.

Jesse enjoyed teaching, where his students excelled in social science state standard examinations and debate competition. He strongly believed in teaching students to think critically about social and political issues impacting the present and future, including the importance of civic leadership and responsibility. He organized and implemented an array state and out of state student trips for academic learning and achievement.

Jesse spoke highly of his school colleagues and close friends. Special thank you for those friendships and to John and Julie Blythe, lifelong friends, from Dallas and New York. Also, great appreciation is extended to Commander Juan Guerrero, Vice-Commander Tony Bauer, and members of American Legion Post 53 for their friendship and support in honoring Jesse with the Patriots Motorcade and the Honor Guard.

Jesse loved his wife, Chae, his parents, grandmother, brothers, aunts and uncles and cousins. He often talked how he loved his brother, James, for being such a devoted father; his oldest nephew Joseph Edward, who he saw as a son, for being such as good father; they spent much time together seeing movies, talking and viewing sport games together. Jesse was also very proud of his nephews and nieces, James and Monica, Jonathan and Andrea. He thought they were so smart, inquisitive and kind. He loved Joseph Edward’s children, his grandnephew and nieces, Arielle, Julian and Madeline. Jesse loved their energy and hopefulness for the future, along with their special talents and creativity.

He, too, loved his brother Joseph. They grew up together since the 1950’s and 60’s and all the years that followed, from childhood, adolescence to all stages of adulthood. Jesse was grateful for the sacrifices of his parents and all the energy they directed to providing not only a home and all the essentials, but providing and creating thousands of experiences to be truly engaged in life and learning. These enriched experiences were with family and relatives, the city, sports, recreation, seeing and discussing the stories reflected in movies; attending all the Southwest Texas Conference games at the Cotton Bowl; participating in Mustang pee-wee football, the Cub Scouts, the Boy Scouts; going to Dallas Rangers baseball games, Dallas Texans football, elementary and high school events, Sportatorium Wrestling; delivering the Dallas Times Herald Route 10 newspaper; attending Jefferson Blvd theaters like the Texas, Midway, Vogue, the Rosemont or across town to the Teatro Pan Americano; trips to Downtown Dallas major department stores like Harris, Sangers, Titches, H. L. Greene, Kress and others, or going to the movie theaters like the Realto, Palace, The Tower, Capri and the Majestic; dining at restaurants like the Majestic, Picadilly, Greek restaurants, Eat Well Café, Topers, Leon’s; having adventures at the Dallas Zoo and Lake Cliff Park; and attending annually the Texas State Fair and the museums from morning to night. Mom, Dad, Wita (grandmother) were the first teachers. Teachers of listening, reading, writing , discourse, and the values of being a good human being and possessing a reverence to the Holy Trinity.

May the Holy Trinity embrace Jesse, his spirit and all his goodness. Wita, Dad, Mom, and Joseph Edward (JoJo), please hold Jesse close to you. How we will miss him. Jesse often stated that he prayed every night for our family. Mom did this, too. We must continue the prayers.

Jesse will be laid to rest at the DFW National Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

**Due to limitation of floral displays at church and cemetery, flowers can be delivered to the following address: Joseph Lopez, PhD, 6027 Barrington Ct., Dallas, TX 75252. Plants are preferred over flowers. Additionally, in lieu of plants or flowers, donations can be made in Jesse's honor to Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church for children and/or orphans.**

Days of Wine and Roses

They are not long, the weeping and
the laughter,
Love and desire and hate:
I think they have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine
and roses
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while,
Then closes
Within a dream.
By Ernest Dowson

The Days of Wine and Roses

The days of wine and roses
Laugh and run away
Like a child at play
Through the meadowland
And towards an open door
A door marked nevermore
That wasn’t there before

The lonely night discloses
Just a passing breeze
Filled with memories
Of the days of wine and roses
And you.
​By Johnny Mercer

One Dear Song
 
I know not when
I’ll be lifted upon the pyre
Only pray that its
final explosive fire
Matches the brightness
of innocence
When body and soul first passed
through the opened door
 
—Thereby a gift for my whole essence
to be placed on earthly stage
To sing out my One dear song
that will echo sweetly within the walls of eternity.
By Joseph Lopez, Ph D
 
 
 

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