Remembering Our Dear Friend, José López

Charismatic.

A goof ball.

Outgoing.

Never met a stranger.

Dynamic.

Laid back.

Dad.

Water Promoter.

Husband.

Hard worker.

Talkative.

Family guy.

These are but a small list of characteristics that describe one of the biggest champions of Clean Water for the World, José López. He joined CWFW in 2009 when one of our other champions, Ben Ciuffa, came to El Salvador to provide our clean water purifiers to schools in other areas of the country. They got connected randomly and the magic began.

In spite of language barriers, José’s limited English and Ben’s limited Spanish, they were very fond of each other and worked well. Ben would bring down 3-4 purifiers at a time. José would host him at his house and set up press conferences, interviews, and formal presentations at schools for them to present the purifiers on behalf of CWFW to the schools.

Ever a family guy, José worked diligently with his dad, Juan López, worked with him to conduct installations and maintenance of purifiers for 8 years. Juan even helped innovate installation protocols incorporating his life experience in construction.

Both Ben and Juan passed away in 2017, which marked a significant transition in the life of José López, especially in his work with Clean Water for the World.

He stayed ever vigilant with the work he conducted with Clean Water for the World, providing clean water purifiers to urban centers, orphanages, and retirement homes for older folks. And he kept it in the family, training both his daughter, Melissa, and son, Fabrizzio, in the maintenance of the clean water purifiers he cared for – totaling 36 in 2023.

Passionate about his work, José was dedicated to Clean Water for the World. It’s a rare point in history, indeed, when someone like José López grace us with their presence in the world. What made him distinct was that he worked full time at the local telecom company, Claro, during the week (44 hrs a week) and took his one day off each week with his children to maintain purifiers, find new locations for installations, and conduct installations.

While he was an independent water promoter (not affiliated with a particular nonprofit), he was a significant collaborator with CWFW. In El Salvador, he collaborated with fellow countryman, Luís Aguillon, Water Promoter with in-country partner CIS (Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad – Center of Exchange and Solidarity), who cares for more than 40 purifiers with the communities they accompany in their community development projects.

Internationally, he visited Jerry Bohl, founder of CWFW, at the shop with Ben Ciuffa in 2014 or 2015, hosted various groups from the University of Toledo College of Engineering during their Spring Breaks, and came to Guatemala with those same groups.

José completed his 30 years of work and retired in 2021, ready to give 100% to Clean Water for the World. We were excited of the future plans we had, including incorporating him more into the daily work of clean water promotion in El Salvador and Guatemala. The pandemic had initially stalled some of our plans, but we were excited to get things going as the vaccinations rolled out. Unfortunately in Fall 2021, José was diagnosed with a blood disease, similar to leukemia. He fought hard to continue working with CWFW, aptly supported by his family to review purifiers. Unfortunately, though, he said his last goodbyes this Spring and on April 15, 2023, left his pain behind, and passed on from this earth.

Even to the end, his spirit urged him on. He fought to the end to live for the love of his family and his love for the work to bring access to clean water to his country. His spirit lives on.

Before he passed, he asked to formally pass on the reins of the care of 36 purifiers to his son, Fabrizzio. Fabrizzio even joined the Spring 2023 Delegation on its Guatemala leg of the journey to meet his fellow water promoters and learn more about the future work of CWFW that he will carry forward in his father’s memory and name.

In His Memory, Clean Water for the World will build a large-scale purifier.

In 2019, José was a resourceful support in the piloting of CWFW’s first large-scale, solar-powered water purifier, which provides clean water directly to the homes of 62 families in the community of Las Cruces Tzajma, Joyabaj, Quiché.

Inspired by its impact, José coordinated support to plan a large-scale purifier installation for 2020 in his wife’s hometown of Comalapa, El Salvador. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all plans for this next iteration were postponed indefinitely.

CWFW will seek to make this dream of José’s a reality in the coming year to honor all of his work and his legacy. If you would like to donate directly to José’s Memorial Fund for a large-scale purifier, please donate here and designate that it is for José’s Memorial Fund.