R. Edward Lopez
R. Edward "Bob" Lopez (1953–May 22, 2005) was a newsman and morning radio personality on Baltimore's 98Rock. Joining the station in 1978, Lopez participated in 13 morning radio shows during his 27 years at the station.[1][2] He was known for his humor, well-thought-out opinions, and unflagging liberalism.[2]
In the early 1990's, he co-hosted with Bob Rivers.[3] He was most recently part of the "Kirk, Mark & Lopez" or "KML" morning show, along with Kirk McEwen and Mark Ondayko, with whom he worked for seven years. He also hosted the Sunday Lopez, a Sunday morning talk show where Lopez discussed politics and listeners called in to express their views. Lopez held the national record for longest tenure for a news man at a rock station.
Lopez grew up in Prince George's County, Maryland, and attended the University of Maryland, College Park, getting his first on-air experience at the campus radio station, WMUC-FM. He later worked at WLMD, a small AM station in Laurel, Maryland, earning $2.25 an hour, before moving to Baltimore in 1977 and joining 98Rock in 1978.[4]
Lopez was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2004, having been a smoker for several decades, starting at age 12.[5] He continued to participate in the Kirk, Mark & Lopez radio show while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. During his treatment, Lopez and his co-hosts made his cancer a frequent source of humor on air, remarking that his hair loss made him look like Uncle Fester.[4] After a long and public battle with the disease, Lopez died at the age of 52. He was survived by his wife of 21 years and his 13-year-old daughter, Leandra.[2]
References
- ^ Sad news in Baltimore [Archive] - SlickDeals.net Forums
- ^ a b c "98 Rock's Lopez Dies of Lung Cancer". WTOPnews.com. May 23, 2005. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- ^ Chalkley, Tom (June 1, 2005). "Bob Lopez". City Paper Online. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- ^ a b Farhi, Paul (December 15, 200). "For 98 Rock's Lopez, a Show Of Strength". The Washington Post. pp. C01. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- ^ "98 Rock's Lopez Battles Cancer". wbaltv.com. March 1, 2004. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
- Rodricks, Dan (May 26, 2005). "Gifted Lopez a strong voice for Baltimore". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2007-12-10.