Mike “Taco” Lopez Lives on in Photos

By L. Mitchell Ginn, Arch 82, M Arch 85

Last summer, a group of Tech Lambda Chi Alpha alumni were discussing plans for their 30th anniversary reunion. Conversation turned to their time together in the late 1970s and early ’80s. And soon enough, those stories called up memories of Mike “Taco” Lopez, ME 80, a fraternity brother and avid photographer whose life was tragically cut short in a car accident in 1984.

Mike arrived on campus in the fall of 1974 as a shy co-op student from Brentwood, Tenn. While at Tech, he matured into a big man on campus. A member of Lambda Chi Alpha and the Ramblin’ Reck Club, Taco would become driver of the Ramblin’ Reck in 1979.

Photography was Mike’s passion. He brought his camera to almost every party and sporting event. Mike developed his images on slides and put on elaborate slide shows at the fraternity. He also collected slides from older brothers.

Before a football game against Notre Dame, three brothers climbed Tech Tower and hung a “Beat Irish” banner. Thinking back on that memory, one of the pranksters, Ken Kelly, IE 81, recalled that Mike had documented it with his camera.

The Lambda Chi brothers wondered, “Whatever happened to the slides from that night, as well as the hundreds of others?” Tim Regan, IM 80, had stayed in touch with Mike’s sister through the years. After Mike’s death, the family had packed away his 2,000-plus Kodachrome slides and had all but forgotten them. After Mike’s parents passed away, the carousel boxes of slides went to his sister, who kept them packed away.

Tim picked up the slides from the sister and passed them on to Tom Williams, ME 83, who cleaned the slides, then had them professionally digitized. At the reunion in October, the brothers sat through a slide show, images of their time as students brought back to life.

There was the photo of Kelly, Taco and Ken Drake, ME 80, on top of Tech Tower. There were hilarious images from toga parties, bamboo parties, road trips, spring breaks and winter formals. Images from Homecoming showed the gigantic front yard displays and the complicated mechanical contraptions from the Reck Parades. Greek Week’s Tug-O-War was brought to life in muddy glory.

Eric Fidler, ME 83, recalled the time Mike ran into Olivia Newton-John in the Nashville airport. “Told me he walked up to her and asked her to marry him. When she told him no, he asked if he could take her picture.” A blown-up picture of the actress ended up on the wall of Mike’s room.

Kit Baker, IE 83, who drove the Reck in 1982, remembers Taco as one of the kindest people he met. “One Friday night before a game, the Reck would not start. I tried all the tricks I had learned on that 1929 engine, but nothing worked. I called Taco, and he was able to come over and get her running. I was so glad he was available, knowing he was quite the ladies man and would be out later.”

One of Mike’s close friends, Tony Zeigler, CE 78, shared this remembrance: “I still remember where I was when I got the news of Taco’s death. … It was never about Mike, but always about Lambda Chi, friends, Georgia Tech, the Reck and helping where he was needed. And he always had a smile and that camera. … Studying took a back seat, and I don’t recall Mike sleeping a lot. It was like he knew his time here was short, and he didn’t want to miss anything.”

 

Have a Tech memory to share? Send written pieces to Editor, Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine, 190 North Ave. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30313, or submit by email to [email protected]. Entries will be selected for publication in the magazine and at gtalumnimag.com.

Next Article Previous Article