Omar Dario Lopera

Omar Dario Lopera, age 76, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 3rd, 2026 surrounded by his loving family. He was born April 20th, 1949, in Bogotá, Colombia to Bertha Afanador Ariza and Joaquín Lopera Munar.

He lived multiple lifetimes in one; he would recount fascinating stories filled with adventure, travel, and art. He always saw beauty in life and encouraged his children to always, always be curious. He exemplified these beliefs throughout his life as a lifelong learner obtaining degrees in Journalism (NYU), Fine Arts and Theatre (Brooklyn College), Medicine (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Film (UCLA), and ultimately his J.D. from the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign. He lived in Paris for several years studying French Literature before embarking on a career in law due to his unshakeable belief that everyone is entitled to the right of representation and defense.

He married the love of his life, Isabel Souffront, on July 20th, 1997 in New York, NY and together they had three children whom he affectionately called his ‘bambini’: Isabelita, Omarcito, and Gabito. When you were around Omar, you would be immediately taken by his boundless knowledge of the world that it could feel like you were speaking to Encyclopedia Britannica personified. First and foremost, however, Omar was an incredibly kind, loving soul with an infectious hearty laugh and radiant smile. He would always say the most important thing in life is to be a good person (and drink good wine). 

After moving to Florida from New York in 2012, he dedicated himself to his most important task ahead, raising his bambini. He became the unofficial soccer team photographer and never missed a single game. He spent his free time sailing and wished he could sail around the world himself. He loved reading, cooking pasta with Gabo, debating current events with Omar, and pouring over a WW2 era espionage novel with Isa.

He spent his last years continuing what brought him immense joy, traveling to Patagonia with his family and appreciating the beauty of the natural world. He is survived by his wife, Isabel; his daughter, Isabel Cristina; his two sons, Omar and Gabo, his dear aunt, Isabel Afanador, his mother, sisters, numerous nephews and niece, and his greatest friends, Jaime Torres and Federico Montealegre whom he referred to as his brothers. Family, friends and anyone influenced by Omar’s incredible life should continue to reminisce, grieve, support each other and, of course, remember the extraordinary man that was Omar.

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