Rufino E. Lopez Jr.

Alice, Texas - Rufino E. Lopez, Jr., aka R (Rufus) E Lopez Jr. was a practicing attorney in Texas. He graduated from Alice High School in 1959 and from Baylor University in 1962 and attended Baylor University School’ of Law 8om 1962-1964. He sat for the Bar Exam and was admitted to the Texas Bar in December 1965 after making the 2nd highest grade. During his years at Baylor, he was one of the few Catholics attending the University. Rufino continued the practice of law for more than 59 years, having been admitted practicing before the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, United States Federal District Court, Southern AID Western Districts of Texas, and the Texas Supreme Court. He was an active member of the Texas Bar Association, American Bar Association, the San Antonio Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association for the Western District, and the Texas Bar College. He was a Board-Certified Legal Specialist in Residential Real Estate Law and in Farm & Ranch Law. He was the founding partner at his law firm, Lopez Peterson PLLC in Laredo, Texas, which still bears his name. From 1965 to 1990 he practiced law in Alice, Texas where he was a business lawyer, having established La Hacienda Savings & Loan in San Diego, Texas and was its general counsel and Chairman of the Board until sold in 1987. The Savings & Loan provided needed long-term home financing to the rural areas in and around San Diego. He later became a partner in Houston, Texas with Hirsch Glover Robinson & Sheiness from 1990 to 1997. After the regretful sale of his law firm, Lopez Peterson moved to San Antonio, Texas and continued to practice as an insurance defense litigator until his retirement. He was also a Judge/Hearing Examiner for the Texas Education Agency for more than 8 years.
 
In 2010, Rufino was invited as a visiting professor of law to Ukraine Academy of Law where he taught for 3 months and conducted the first jury trial in Ukraine. He later taught American Jurisprudence in Moscow and Czech Republic He authored a book: LECTURES IN LITIGATION (40 Acre Press) which has been translated into Russian for use as tutorial. Mr. Lopez addressed the real estate section of the American Bar Association on “Defenses to Extrajudicial Foreclosures”. He also authored a non-fiction book; “UNDESIRABLE, HOW THE CORPS FAILED MY FATHER”, published in November 2024.
 
As an active litigator, Mr. Lopez handled a variety of high- profile cases in his career, including oil & gas, real estate disputes, trucking accidents and explosions. The Courtroom was his home. The Law was his love. He had few regrets in life but never let them interrupt his practice. He was proud to say that a grievance had never been alleged against him before the Texas Bar in all of his years of practice.
 
He was a devout Catholic and member of St. Matthews Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas and of St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in San Diego, Texas where he will be buried.
 
He was the owner/operator of the Smr Rufino de Assisi Ranch in Duval County, Texas and was its 4th generation owner, where he grew a vineyard and raised cattle. In 2003 and 2004 his wine won the Gold Medal at the Grapevine Wine Festival. San Runno is the family Patron Saint, as the first bishop of Assisi, Italy in 836 A. D., almost 1000 years before St. Francis of Assisi, who was baptized at the cathedral of San Rufino. Mr. Lopez was a frequent visitor to the Shrine of San Rufino feast day of July 30, which is also the birthday of his father, who died in 1956.
 
Survived by his sisters, Gloria Trevino of Corpus Christi, and Alma de la Garza of Edinburg; two grandchildren, Rufino IV and Joshua Lopez, 5 great grandchildren, including Rufino V.
 
Preceded in death by his parents, Rufino E Lopez and Elvira S Lopez; a brother, Col. Manuel Lopez US Army(Ret); his sister, Anna L Garza.
 
Mr. Lopez often quoted St. Paul from his letter to Timothy: “I finished the course, I fought a good fight, and I kept the faith”. He also added: “And I did it my way”.
 
Visitation will begin on Saturday September 6, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at St. Francis de Paula Catholic Church in San Diego, Texas with a Rosary to be recited at 2:00 p.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at 2:30 p.m. Burial to follow at San Diego Cemetery in San Diego, Texas.
 
Mauro P. Garcia Funeral Home entrusted with arrangements.
 
Condolences for the family may be left on our website: www.mauropgarcia.com