Lopez, Seabert “Jimmie”
Seabert Lopez, fondly known as “Jimmie,” was born on February 26, 1933 in Morgan’s Pass, Clarendon, Jamaica, West Indies to Fergus and Gladys Lopez. His boyhood days was spent assisting his parents with his siblings and attending classes. He developed an affinity for numbers and thus landed
a job as an Accountant at Martin’s International Travel Agency, Alcan Jamaica Ltd - Ewarton and J. Wray and Nephew Ltd. While traversing the island on the job. he met Daphne while attending a dance at the Bybrook Estate Factory in Bog Walk Jamaica. The two fell in love and after a lengthy courtship in 1959, he and Daphne were married in front of twelve of their closest friends and relatives.
Jimmie answered an ad for a job located in the United States and migrated with his wife and five children. Upon arriving in Chicago, Illinois, Jimmie began working closely with Mr. Thomas A. Reynolds II and his family in Winnetka for over 30 years. Jimmie showed love to everyone he met. A humanitarian to a fault, he was a pillar of strength and wisdom in the Jamaican community. Seeing the need for a place for West Indians on the northside to meet and socialize, he was instrumental in the formation of the Evanston-Skokie Cricket Club, becoming the President of the Club in the mid-1980s. A driving force in the Chicagoland area, Jimmie was instrumental in raising awareness and support for the sport of Cricket including serving as umpire for the game across the Midwest Cricket region, fundraising efforts for uniforms, travel and other expenses and assisting in community drives for those in need.
When the island of Jamaica was impacted by Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, Jimmie along with other members of the Jamaican community rallied to gather donations for those who were in dire need
and out of that humanitarian effort, the Chicago Concerned Jamaicans (CCJ) was formed. Jimmie
served on a number of committees as a member of CCJ raising funds to provide food, supplies, equipment and educational materials to schools across the island the organization adopted. Although his service was not committee based, he continued to serve the community in varies ways until the mid-2000s.
In 2011, Jimmie was diagnosed with liver cancer. As his illness progressed, he never waned in his support as an advisor and advocate for the Jamaican community. He still managed to show support either through donations, a word of encouragement or referrals to others within the community. Jimmie was preceded in death by his parents Gladys and Fagus Lopez, his brothers Jack, Brenton and Dudley, sister Ivy, brothers-in-law Henry and Doric and the love of his life - his wife Daphne Lopez with whom he shared more than 60 years of blissful marriage.
He is survived by his sisters Carmen, Ena and Myrtle (Talla), brother Lenworth, brother-in-law Kent (Carol), his five children Steve (Marie), Deon (Basil), Sebert Jr, (Holly), Ray and Shelley; nine grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild; a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. He will truly be missed by all!
Visitation Friday, June 25, 2021, 3:00 p.m. until time of Funeral Service 5:00 p.m. at Donnellan Family Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd. at Old Orchard Road, Skokie, IL 60077. The Funeral will be livestreamed and can be viewed on Jimmies obituary page at donnellanfuneral.com.
Info: donnellanfuneral.com or 847-675-1990.