Sergio Lopez would like it to be known that his son did not lose his fight with cancer.
The decision was made this week to disconnect the oxygen that was helping keep Christian Lopez, a former lineman at Marana High School and the University of Arizona, alive. His family determined that he had suffered enough.
So it was on Tuesday afternoon that Christian, 24, died after a three-plus-year tussle with a type of cancerous brain tumor known as glioblastoma. Christian’s family — parents Sergio and Dora and brother Diego — were at his side at Banner-University Medical Center. One of his favorite songs, “O Come to the Altar” by Elevation Worship, played in the background as Christian took his last breath about 4:30 p.m.
“He was so calm about it, so strong,” Sergio Lopez said. “The nurse was crying. It was very emotional. They’re not used to seeing a 24-year-old (die) like that. I said, ‘Don’t be sad. He’s going to a better place.’”
Christian Lopez was a standout two-way lineman at Marana High School who joined the UA program in 2015 as a preferred walk-on under Rich Rodriguez.
Former Tigers coach Andy Litten credits Lopez with helping change the culture at Marana.
The year before Litten became Marana’s coach — 2011, Lopez’s freshman year — the Tigers went 0-10. They never finished above .500 the next three seasons, when Lopez was a key starter. But he helped lay the foundation for teams that would go 9-3 in the 2016 and ’17 campaigns.
“He was huge in terms of creating the culture that really helped turn that program around,” said Litten, who’s now the coach at Scottsdale Horizon High School. “He was just a great guy. He was ferocious, tough. Off the field, he cared about his teammates. He made other people better. I don’t know if we would have turned it around without the leadership he provided.”
Lopez’s teammates voted him a captain when he was a senior. He received the most votes of any player Litten has ever coached.
Litten recalled Lopez taking time during lunch to tutor his teammates in math. He would teach them geometry on the same locker-room whiteboard where the coaches drew up plays.
“He realized that the kids needed help,” Litten said. “He would do whatever it takes, whatever we needed. He was one of those guys who was never afraid of work.”
That applied to the weight room as well. Sergio Lopez said anytime his son was asked by a trainer whether he wanted to do more reps or more weight, he’d always say “both.”
Christian Lopez, left, works with fellow UA offensive lineman Gerhard de Beer before a 2016 spring practice. Lopez spent about 18 months with the Wildcats following a standout career at Marana High School.
Christian Lopez spent about a year and a half with the UA football team. In the fall of 2018, he began having seizures. An MRI revealed a tumor about the size of an orange. He had surgery to remove it and seemed to be OK for a time. But in late 2020 the tumor started growing again.
Lopez had another surgery last January, but his condition worsened. He was given no more than 16 months to live.
“Nobody knows what causes these tumors, especially at this age,” his father said. “Everybody has their own hypothesis.”
Sergio Lopez became Christian’s primary caregiver over the last year or so of his life, and the two grew closer to each other. Christian also embraced Christianity to an extent he never had before.
As Christian Lopez’s pain increased and his health declined, the family had to make a call.
“I never expected that I would have to schedule the day that he was going to die,” Sergio said. “That’s not something I’d want anybody to go through.
“I had to ask God every single day to give me the clarity. You’re always going to be (second-) guessing.”
The family was able to spend Christmas together. Diego, 21, spent every night at the hospital with his brother during his final few weeks.
“He was very strong. He never wanted to give up,” Sergio said. “I talked to him about ‘Rocky IV,’ how Rocky should have thrown in the towel. He said, ‘No, I’m not going to do it.’”
“That’s my job,” his father replied. “To protect you.”
The Lopez family launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for Christian’s funeral and memorial. It had more than tripled its goal of $5,000 entering the weekend.
A memorial service is scheduled for Jan. 22.
