Longtime New Tampa resident Morris Lopez III has spent 40 years building a career in public service, currently as a Division Chief with the Hillsborough County Fire Department.
While that service alone is noteworthy and admirable, the legacy of Morris’ grandfather Morris — who “walked the beat” as a Tampa Police Officer in Ybor City in the 1940s after serving in the Navy in World War II — is part of why Morris III chose to serve as well.
Unfortunately, Morris I’s service with TPD lasted only about two years, as he was shot and killed shielding and saving the life of a newspaper boy in 1949 during a drive-by shooting at 7th Ave. and 16th St. Eyewitnesses said that Ofc. Lopez was already falling to the ground when he pushed the paperboy out of the path of the gunfire. Long before the days of DNA evidence, the case remains unsolved and no suspects were ever identified, as the car sped away following the shooting.
On Sept. 28, 77 years after that tragedy, Morris III and most of his family — including his wife Yvette, their daughter Courtney, Morris’ brothers Robbie and Rodney and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins — were all on hand at a ceremony honoring Morris I with a sign renaming the corner of Centennial Park (along 19th St. and E. 8th Ave.) in Ybor City after the fallen hero: “Office Morris Lopez Av.”
Dist. 7 Tampa City Councilman & New Tampa resident Luis Viera, who pushed the city to honor Ofc. Lopez, said that Morris I was deserving of such an honor “and should be remembered as one of Tampa’s great heroes.”
Viera then introduced Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who had a long career as a TPD Officer, including serving as TPD’s Chief. Mayor Castor said, “All of us, as first responders, take an oath to protect and serve…and law enforcement officers and firefighters across the country sacrifice their lives in the line of duty every single day.
“And, as a community…we can never forget the impact those first responders, including Officer Lopez, had on their communities and on their families and friends.”
She also thanked Viera for making sure that there is “a permanent reminder of Ofc. Lopez’s sacrifice, so that people who drive by that sign can ask, ‘Who was Officer Morris Lopez and what did he do?’ And we should all be able to answer that question with pride.”
Viera’s fellow City Councilman Guido Maniscalco said, “Today, we know that the name Morris Lopez will not be forgotten. I’m so glad we were able to do this small token of appreciation for the [Lopez] family, so that his name will live on.”
Next up was Cindy Roberts, whose husband, TPD Cpl. Mike Roberts, gave his all for the city back in 2009. Viera said, “Cindy does a lot of good work with an organization called ‘Concerns of Police Survivors,’ that advocates for surviving family members of officers that gave all in the line of duty.”
“I have the solemn honor of walking with the families of all of our lost officers as they go through their grief journey,” Roberts said. “But today, as we reveal this road dedication for Officer Morris Lopez, we assure that his sacrifice is met with an unending remembrance and community support.”
Then, Chief Morris Lopez III said that although he never met his grandfather, “I heard the stories about him and the pride his name carried, and that made me want to [serve]…and I have served this community for 40 years.
“A street sign can not repay [our] loss. Nothing can. But, a city can say that a life of service mattered. He gave his life for this city and today, the city gives something back. For our family, seeing his name here in Ybor City, it connects our children and our grandchildren to the man whose life helped shape theirs. It tells them that courage, duty and service can travel across generations.
“I hope that everyone who passes this street remembers more than a name. Remember the men and women who put on a uniform and accept responsibility for people they may never know. And remember the families they leave behind.” — GN; all photos provided by Morris Lopez & Luis Viera
