Thomas Lopes, who died in September at 70, was posthumously named New Bedford Man of the Year for his tireless work for the city’s Cape Verdean community.
Contributed photo
By Steve Urbon
surbon@s-t.com
January 01, 2013 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — FEW PEOPLE IN ANY WALK OF LIFE CUT A SWATH AS WIDE AS THAT OF THE LATE THOMAS DENNIS LOPES, THE LAWMAKER, PUBLISHER AND CAPE VERDEAN COMMUNITY LEADER WHO DIED IN SEPTEMBER AT THE AGE OF 70.
Lopes, posthumously honored as The Standard-Times 2012 New Bedford Man of the Year, is remembered by his friends and family with something approaching reverence.
He was a man of multiple careers who poured his energy into improving the lives of his fellow Cape Verdeans in any way he could think of — and there were many ways.
A 1961 New Bedford High graduate, Lopes entered politics as a candidate for School Committee, a race he lost. But he followed that with a run for state representative and served two terms as the state's first Cape Verdean lawmaker.
He would eventually run for state auditor, another loss but the last try for statewide office by a SouthCoast politician.
But it was in his community, not the Statehouse, where Lopes made the biggest impression. His sister Dolly Lopes Tavares put it this way: "His work of the last 40 years of community action, politics, business and journalism have placed him many times on the front line for justice."
Lopes founded the Cape Verdean News in 1978 and produced and even delivered the weekly all on his own, slowing down only when struck by illness last year.
John "Buddy" Andrade recalls that Lopes would always stop for a conversation even though he had a full day's work ahead of him. "He would take time out to have that conversation even though he had 50 more deliveries," Andrade said.
Lopes once insisted on giving Andrade $10 to help him out, despite Andrade's objections. "At the funeral, I stuck it in his hand with 'thank you' written on it," he said.
William Carmo, a friend of Lopes since childhood, said Lopes was "always motivated by helping people. He seemed gifted in that area, always getting involved, always there to help."
"He was helping children. He was helping senior citizens. He was everywhere, like wallpaper," Carmo said with a laugh.
A Navy veteran and graduate of the University of Bridgeport, Lopes was involved in almost every conceivable way in the community. He spent three years on the Diocese of Fall River's board of education. He was an airport commissioner. He attended national labor conferences in New York and Washington, D.C. In the early 1970s, he was employed at the city's Community Action Agency.
He was a member of the Greater New Bedford Urban Coalition and chairman of the Urban Coalition Task Force.
As a state representative, he led the drive to allow advertising by pharmacists, attorneys and opticians to allow clients to make an informed decision.
He was instrumental in getting the schooner Ernestina back from the Cape Verde islands. He led the effort to bring the president of Cape Verde to New Bedford for a visit, and having the main post office dedicated to Judge George Leighton.
But not every fight ended well, especially his last one. Lopes was always deeply concerned about the PCB-contaminated site of the new Keith Middle School, very near his home of 30 years.
Carmo recalls Lopes warning endlessly about it but the school was built anyway. Lopes would come to develop the illnesses and organ failure that eventually claimed him too early, in the eyes of his friends and relatives.
Lopes led an exemplary life, and this community has suffered a great loss in his passing — a clear choice for Man of the Year, those who knew him said.
Nominations for the award came from the community and members of the newspaper staff. Recipients were selected by a newsroom committee.
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