Seafair pirate had a passion for helping others

When Santos Lopez's coffin leaves the church, six of his brother Seafair pirates -- his pallbearers -- will be toting it out with their swords raised.

Lopez, who died last week of a heart attack at age 56, was remembered Monday as a generous man who was always on the lookout for a way to help others.

	Santos Lopez

"My Daddy was a very caring, loving, compassionate man. He would give you his last dollar and the shirt off his back not to see a soul suffer," wrote his daughter, Julieann, in an online guest book.

Mark "Keelhaul" Jensen, a fellow member of the pirate group that kicks off Seattle's annual summer festival and makes scores of appearances annually to benefit charity, said Lopez "was a sweetheart -- a guy who, whoever met him, liked him."

Lopez, of Marysville, died Wednesday while working at The Boeing Co.'s Everett plant, where he was an airplane inspector, Jensen said. He had been a Seafair pirate since 2001.

"The pirates were very, very important to him," Jensen said. "When you become a pirate, you become a part of the family."

In recent years Lopez had devoted less time to the pirates because his wife, Linda, was diagnosed with a serious disease, dystonia, Jensen said.

But even then, Lopez found ways to benefit the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation. The Lopez family asks that contributions in his name be made to the foundation at www.dystonia-foundation.org (click on the "donate" link).

Lopez is survived by his wife Karen, sons Santos, Ryan and John, daughters Julieann, Shirleyann and Tamera, and grandchildren Terrell, Kai, Tyler, as well as seven brothers and four sisters.

Lopez served in the Army's Ranger Battalion rear detachment. His awards included the Governor's Life Saving Award, which is given for "personally performing (an) urgently required hands-on action in a lifesaving effort." He performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a motorist stricken by a heart attack.

"He was a very passionate guy about everything he did," Jensen said. "If there was a project, he got involved. If somebody asked him, he was on it."

Fellow pirate Doug "Barnacle" Kuehne said he'll always remember his first year as a candidate to be a full-fledged member.

"The pirates are testing you to see how you react, to see how far they can push you," Kuehne said. "Santos was very active the year I came in and of all the pirates, he was just the best to me. When the other guys were riding me, he always had a kind word of advice."

At the funeral Tuesday at St. Elizabeth's Church in Bothell, the pirate pallbearers won't be in their colorful swashbuckling garb, Jensen said. Walking behind the pirates' boatlike vehicle, Moby Duck, they'll be clad in red coats, black ties and black pants.

That, you see, is their "business attire."

And what will be their final words to their dear departed brother?

"Fair winds and smooth sailing."