Leonardo “Leo” Lopez was born in Boston, Massachusetts in July 28 of 1983 to Francisco Javier Lopez and Martha Elena Cadavid. Leo’s parents were immigrants from Antioquia, Colombia seeking better opportunities for themselves and their children. The Lopez family of three settled in Chelsea, Massachusetts where they bought their first home. In October 12 of 1984, Francisco and Martha welcomed a second child, Viviana Lopez.
Leo and Vivi grew up in Chelsea, an immigrant city, where they attended Saint Rose of Lima, a popular parochial school in the city of Chelsea. The siblings spent most of their childhood enjoying each other’s company , spending hours pretending to be Bert and Ernie from the popular childhood show “Sesame Street”. During the school years Leo began playing basketball at the local YMCA eventually going to play at the Boys and Girls Club with the “Bullets”. It was here, where he discovered his passion for basketball, attempting to become something like his idol, Michael Jordan. Leo attended Saint Rose until he graduated from 8th grade and went on to attend Chelsea High School.

At Chelsea High School Leo was a popular fellow student among his peers, he played on the basketball team from Sophomore year to Senior Year. Leo also participated in the school’s sailing club where he was one of the first two official members of the club. He was very proud! He graduated from Chelsea High School June of 2001. While in high school Leo worked part-time as a bus-boy to save money for his dream car, a Ford, Mustang. He was eventually able to purchase that dream car the summer before he began college. The car was his pride and joy, Leo use to spend hours washing the car and working on it. It was in high school where he met is first girlfriend whom he dated for 4 years.

In September of 2001, Leo began his high education at Suffolk University. At Suffolk, like at Chelsea High, Leo was popular among his peers. Leo became a familiar face in the student union center and became an active member of Suffolk University’s Hispanic Association. Although Leo was born in the United States, he was very proud of his heritage, through SUHA, Leo was able to share his love for Colombia. One of the things that Leo was famous for on campus for was his ping pong skills. Most students at Suffolk would find it a rare occasion if they didn’t see Leo playing ping pong in the student center grunting and sweating. He was the “Ping Pong King” on campus. While in college, Leo also began working at Citizens Bank as a banker. His colleagues enjoyed working with him and his customers would come by just to say hello, Leo was a very loud and passionate person , a very memorable figure for many people.

Leo was able to finish his junior year in college and was getting ready for the summer in 2004 when a tragedy hit his family. While attending a party in Charlestown one summer night in June, a fight broke out and a gun was fired. It was that night that Leonardo Lopez was shot by a stray bullet that ended his promising life.

In May 2005, Suffolk University presented his parents with a posthumous Suffolk University Sawyer School of Management college degree. In Leo’s short life, he was able to impact so many lives and touch so many people. Till today, Leo is remembered and lives in the hearts of the people he has touched.