Family of Marine Cpl. Hunter Lopez build lightsaber at Disneyland in honor of fallen hero & avid Star Wars fan
Family and friends recall Marine Corporal Hunter Lopez fondly, and those who knew him best remember just how much he loved Star Wars.
The Indio native loved going to Disneyland since he was a toddler, his interests growing from the spinning teacup ride in his younger years to the life-long passion he had for Star Wars.
“He’d dress up as a Jedi for Halloween, he knew all the movies, all the lines — even the background characters,” his mother Alicia Lopez told Disney representatives in an interview.
His younger brother, Owen, even got his name after "then-5-year-old Hunter asked if he could name the baby 'Uncle Owen' after the Star Wars character Owen Lars."
In 2019, Hunter Lopez built a lightsaber at Savi's Workshop in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Before he deployed to Afghanistan, he told his parents he wanted to be buried with that lightsaber.
It's a request that his family wanted to honor. Lopez, 22, was killed in action in the August 26 attack at the Kabul airport. However, his mother said she "just couldn’t find the courage to part with the lightsaber he built.”
A friend of the family helped arrange a special day to help. Hunter Lopez's parents, brother, and sister traveled to Disneyland so that together, they could make a replica. This lightsaber, built by the whole family, would be buried with their loved one.
“As we walked into Disneyland, the marching band was coming out onto Main Street and started to play a Star Wars song. We don’t know if it was Disney magic or whether it was Hunter, but either way it felt good knowing he was there with us.”
Alicia Lopez, Mother of Hunter Lopez
Disneyland employees worked with a group that supports military and veteran families to show appreciation to the Gold Star family.
“We took the American flag that was flying over Disneyland and quickly had it framed and created a plaque, so we could present it to the family,” said Dan Hughes, Vice President of Security. “I said, ‘Your son’s sacrifice means the world to our country and also to us at Disneyland, and it’s our honor to give you this token of our appreciation.’”
“I said, ‘Your son’s sacrifice means the world to our country and also to us at Disneyland, it’s our honor to give you this token of our appreciation,’” recounted Dan Hughes, vice president of security at Disneyland.
13 glasses of champagne were lined up on a service counter when the Lopez family visited Club 33, in tribute to the 13 lives of American service members that were lost in the attack.
Honoring Hunter Lopez
The Lopez family shared treasured memories with Cpl. Lopez in a touching tribute video during his Celebration of Life on Saturday. Here are some of the images.
You can watch the Celebration of Life ceremony here:
Corporal Hunter Lopez Biography
Hunter Lopez was killed in action on August 26, 2021 while serving as a member of the United States Marine Corps in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Born on January 15, 1999 in Palm Springs, CA., Hunter is survived by his parents, Herman and Alicia, brother Owen and sister Trinity.
Hunter dedicated his life to service and took pride in being part of organizations with a rich tradition. Prior to joining the Marine Corps, Hunter was a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Explorer Scout from 2014-2017 for Post 507, where he obtained the rank of Captain.
Hunter served in the Marine Corps for four years; His first three years as part of the Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team Company A, 5th Platoon and most recently as a member of 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Golf Company, 1st Platoon, 3rd squad.
Hunter was devoted to serving others and perfecting himself in order to be the best Explorer and Marine possible. Whether at work or at home, Hunter strived for perfection, seeking knowledge and experience from those he respected and admired. When on leave, Hunter enjoyed being around family and friends and sharing his experiences with everyone. He lived life to the fullest and was often the reason why family and friends would bend over backwards to get together when he was around.
Hunter was a history buff and had many aspirations to pursue after completing his service to the country, among those was being part of a shooting and firearms company with several friends which is already underway and becoming a Deputy with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
Always a fan of everything and anything Star Wars related, Hunter convinced countless friends, family and Marines to binge watch movies and would often quiz them on Star Wars trivia. As a child, Hunter shied away from photographs and it was a challenge to get him to smile in most photographs. As an Explorer Scout and especially as a Marine Hunter seemed to flourish and developed an infectious smile and amazing personality. Hunter lived a full life in a short amount of time, he impacted so many lives and has left a lasting impression on family, friends, and his brothers and sisters in arms.
Riverside County Sheriff's Department
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