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Jo Willa Gramling Lopez

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Birth	:	3 Sep 1948 Spartanburg County, South Carolina, USA
Death	:	7 Feb 2014 Gramling, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, USA
Burial	:	Gramling United Methodist Church Cemetery, Gramling, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate	:	35.0788155, -82.1353912
Description	:	Jo Willa (Gramling) Lopez, lawyer and philanthropist, died on February 7, 2014 in Gramling, SC, after a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Ms. Gramling Lopez was a native of the small farming town of Gramling, SC, which her grandfather helped found in the late 1800s. Born September 3, 1948 to Bennie Earl Gramling and Annie Lou (Petty) Gramling, she migrated north to attend Wellesley College, graduating in 1969. Her class came to symbolize the height of the Women's Empowerment movement, including such luminaries as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Janet Hill and Susan P. Graber. She was also a graduate of Georgetown... Read More	Jo Willa (Gramling) Lopez, lawyer and philanthropist, died on February 7, 2014 in Gramling, SC, after a battle with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Ms. Gramling Lopez was a native of the small farming town of Gramling, SC, which her grandfather helped found in the late 1800s. Born September 3, 1948 to Bennie Earl Gramling and Annie Lou (Petty) Gramling, she migrated north to attend Wellesley College, graduating in 1969. Her class came to symbolize the height of the Women's Empowerment movement, including such luminaries as Hillary Rodham Clinton, Janet Hill and Susan P. Graber. She was also a graduate of Georgetown Law in 1972, serving as Law Review editor-in-chief, before moving to New York to become the first female lawyer hired at Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith in 1973. Ms. Gramling Lopez made her entire professional legal career, over 30 years, at Merrill Lynch in New York City. The majority of her time was spent working in the "white glove" Private Banking unit, ensuring that the firm's high net-worth clients' needs were always met. She was instrumental in developing Merrill Lynch's banking and trust businesses. She was counsel to its first banking venture in the 1970s, the acquisition of Merrill Lynch International Bank Limited in London. That was followed by the formation or acquisition of banks in Panama, Cayman, Hong Kong and Singapore, and, in the U.S., an Edge Act bank, and banks in New Jersey and Utah, all in the restrictive Glass-Steagall era. She also led the consolidation of several state chartered trust companies into a national charter, allowing for trust services to be offered nationally. The innovative legal strategies that accomplished this were admired and accepted, ultimately contributing to banking reform in 1999 with the Graham-Leach-Bliley Act. After her retirement from Merrill Lynch in 2004, Ms. Gramling Lopez returned to her native Gramling. She continued her philanthropic efforts started in New York with the Junior League (where she served as President from 1984 to 1986) by joining South Carolina's Guardian Ad Litem program in 2005, where she represented minors pro-bono in the South Carolina family court system. Not content to simply assist the legal process, she became the Executive Director of the of the Children's Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, South Carolina in 2011. A non-profit organization serving abused children of several South Carolina counties, the CAC provides the child-focused psychological and physical care that other state agencies are not equipped to provide. As Executive Director, she oversaw significant growth in the organization's budget and number of children helped. Through her efforts, the CAC was officially recognized by South Carolina's Secretary of State as an "Angel" charity in 2011. A noted animal lover, she is survived by her two sons, Ben and Andy Lopez, her sister, Lucy Gramling Crowley, and her eight rescued animal children - Apollo, Buddy, Jackie, Jessie, JT, Lulu, Mikey, and Zeus. Funeral services were held Sunday, February 9, 2014 at 3:30 pm at Gramling United Methodist Church. Burial was in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers that donations be sent to Miss Jo's Children's Fund, care of the Spartanburg County Foundation, 424 E. Kennedy Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302. Petty Funeral Home Landrum, SC Published in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal 2/8/2014 - 2/9/2014 Published in Spartanburg Herald-Journal from Feb. 8 to Feb. 9, 2014

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Jo Willa Gramling Lopez's memorial?
Jo Willa Gramling Lopez's memorial is located at: Gramling United Methodist Church Cemetery, Gramling, Spartanburg County, USA.
When did Jo Willa Gramling Lopez death?
Jo Willa Gramling Lopez death on 7 Feb 2014 in Gramling, Spartanburg County, South Carolina, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Jo Willa Gramling Lopez's memorial?
Latitude: 35.0788155
Longitude: -82.1353912

Family Members:

Parent

Ben Earle Gramling

(1913 - 1994)

Annie Lou Petty Gramling

(1916 - 1996)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Gramling United Methodist Church Cemetery
Gramling, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0788155, -82.1353912

2. Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery
Gramling, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0865200, -82.1231630

3. Barnette Graves
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0626120, -82.1223930

4. Holston Creek Baptist Church Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0605820, -82.1501860

5. McDowell-Lancaster Family Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1024830, -82.1288330

6. Roselawn Memorial Gardens
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0614014, -82.1035995

7. Campobello United Methodist Church Cemetery
Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1169330, -82.1493710

8. Campobello First Baptist Church Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1228900, -82.1377880

9. First Baptist Church Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0521810, -82.0909540

10. Motlow Creek Baptist Church Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0868530, -82.1923360

11. Walnut Hill Baptist Church Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1211660, -82.1055520

12. Collins Mountain Family Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0317832, -82.1531657

13. Lake Bowen Baptist Church Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0889000, -82.0745000

14. Inman Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0497282, -82.0834200

15. Greater Bible Way Tabernacle Miracle Temple
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0455971, -82.0827560

16. Pleasant Grove Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1197014, -82.1836014

17. Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0694940, -82.0654920

18. Holly Springs Baptist Church Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0329018, -82.1828003

19. Mount Zion Tabernacle Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0951000, -82.0642000

20. Little Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0184500, -82.1442800

21. Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1180010, -82.1933110

22. Waldrop Family Cemetery
Inman, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1174000, -82.0726930

23. Jackson Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery
Campobello, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.1378200, -82.1023150

24. Fellowship Baptist Church Cemetery
Holly Springs, Spartanburg County, USA
Coordinate: 35.0853590, -82.2145300