Maria Carolina Lopez Celebration of Life by Lawrence Vogel

lvogel8886 — 2023-03-14 21:47:07 UTC

MC, a true GDM legend. She made me feel like family at GDM, since day one. One of the friendliest people I’ve ever worked with. We got off to a great start being from the same city, Miami FL and both being of Colombian heritage. Every time we chatted was always so lovely. Every time I went to the Arlington office, MC was the brightest spirit. A constant ray of sunshine with a smile that just radiates the best energy. All that had the pleasure to know her were truly blessed by her character and brilliance. Sending her friends & family so much love ❤️

- Lawrence Vogel

A Winner with Style

2023-03-14 22:39:45 UTC

When Maria won the GDM Q3 2019 Impact Award, a custom pop-art portrait was part of her prize. She sent me some photos and asked for the illustrator to combine two of her greatest loves: her dog Boots and the X-Files. She totally got that this was an opportunity to go outside the box and she embraced it, and was always so quick to point out the great work she saw in her colleagues. That's what I'll remember and miss about her the most. <3

- Chris Alwell

2023-03-15 11:26:04 UTC

I met Maria a few months ago, when she came to the Barcelona Office. After work, we went to an Irish Pub, spent a few hours together, spoke about our families, projects, animals and many more. What a great evening ! She was so cheerful, smiling and sweet. She was the kind of person for whom you only want and wish the best. A true sunshine. I send to her family and friends all my love and support 🤍
- Alizée

2023-03-15 12:42:22 UTC

MC was always so kind and encouraging whenever I chatted with her. She was always able to lift your spirits with her joy and energy. I'll never forget how welcome she made me feel from the first time I met her. Keeping all her family and friends in my thoughts <3

- Ariana

2023-03-15 12:50:52 UTC

I remember the first time I met MC. It was the first Arlington happy hour post-pandemic and the office was brimming with people. I had just joined GDM a couple months earlier so this was the first time I met anyone in person. My manager and a bunch of my colleagues weren't there so while I may have emailed or pinged a bunch of people outside of my team, I didn't know anyone by face. Lunchtime came and I remember holding my lunch, wondering where to sit with a sea of unknown faces in front of me. MC picked me out of the crowd, introduced herself, and then invited me to sit with her and her team. I remember feeling so touched that she saw me, a newbie, and welcomed me with open arms. She asked me questions, we shared stories, she made me laugh, and then she waited for me at the end of the day, while I was wrapping up a long call, so she could walk with me to the happy hour and I wouldn't be alone. Those types of situations instantly bring you back to when you were the new kid, trying to figure out who to sit with or talk to in the cafeteria, and she saw that fear within me and extended incredible kindness. MC quickly became one of my favorite people to see and hang out with at the office. I will never forget her warmth and I will miss her immensely. ♥️

- Alana Ripy

2023-03-15 13:28:44 UTC

I spent a few years working with MC in the Ballston and then Rosslyn offices, and whenever I saw her throughout my day, she brightened it! She had an infectious laugh, was very positive, and always made me feel welcome and appreciated. I remember her love of rollerskating, her dog Boots, and her husband Mikey. May her memory be a blessing to us all. She is very missed. I'm sending my love and care to her family and friends.

- Annalie

2023-03-15 14:11:35 UTC

Maria was a remarkable person. To know her was to love her because she had a spirit and warmth that immediately resonated with everyone she met. I have so many fond memories of talking and laughing with her. She had a way of making people feel special. So many people can relate stories of Maria welcoming them on their first day. She once made homemade arepas at the Pig Roast because "you just have to try the Colombian version." Every birthday she would send me a private note. And she always asked me about my kids by name every time I saw her. She set up informal snack sessions and a Spanish speaking group to connect with others - anything that could marry her love of food and people. Except for the people who used to steal our snacks from other floors... she had no love for those thieving bastards. :)
She was also an experienced professional, who knew people worked best when they were cared for personally. She built a culture on her team from the ground up, and made work fun. She would send me screenshots from decks she built, with Bad Bunny or silly visuals that somehow still told the story (The screenshot above is one of them that still makes me laugh.)
The only thing she lacked was cynicism, choosing warmth instead. To be clear, that lack of cynicism wasn't due to some naïveté or blind optimism. She was well-traveled and experienced in life and business. But even with all that knowledge of the world, she CHOSE optimism, kindness, and humor each day instead.
I will miss her. But, I also feel so much gratitude that I got to know her. She was a real one.
- Liz

2023-03-15 14:49:45 UTC

MC was an incredibly special person. She was one of the most genuine and friendly colleagues I have ever had the pleasure of working alongside. She was so warm and welcoming, had the brightest energy, and an infectious smile. She had a very special way of making everyone she met feel seen, appreciated and valued -- and never met a stranger. I always looked forward to seeing her at the office and it was a true joy to be able to support her team and see her star rise at GDM.

My heart goes out to her family, friends and team during this incredibly difficult time. I will always remember her amazing spirit and will strive to be more like MC -- positive, compassionate, hardworking, and most of all, kind. <3
- Kari Test

2023-03-15 15:20:51 UTC

I never had the pleasure of meeting MC in person but from all the interactions I had with her through slack I could tell she had such a warm personality. She was such a patient and bubbly person that I envy all those who got to work with her on a close level and had the opportunity to call her their friend.

My heart goes out to everyone feeling this immense loss <3 Nivu

2023-03-15 16:21:16 UTC

MC's persistent enthusiasm, regular, dazzling smile, and genuine friendliness are the things I'll remember most about her.

She definitely shaped the culture in Arlington for the better, and losing her is a loss for us all.

Hers is a hard and heartfelt loss; the grief a testament to the joy she brought to our world.

Thank you for sharing her with us.

May she rest in peace.

- Claire

2023-03-15 16:27:01 UTC

MC was one of the first faces I met at the DC office. I knew who she was, of course, from working with her on MST projects, but I had no idea how petite she was until I actually met her.

Being a newer rep on the team (I just celebrated my first year), I did not know many people going into our Sales Kick Off this past January besides my direct boss and my one work friend. MC came right up to me and said hi and even ended up sitting at my table for lunch that day, where she was so down to Earth and friendly, she made me feel so much more comfortable in the office off the bat.

I will never forget her warm energy and clear care for everyone around her.

I am so sorry for your loss, especially MC, being the light that she was. Know that our entire office and organization is standing with you now. She will be missed by many<3

-Amanda

jessicajavage — 2023-03-15 17:33:54 UTC

MC- lover of fancy hotels, free things, arepas, and celebrity chisme. She was a light to all and radiated personality and warmth in every room she entered. She brought so much humanity to her role at Gartner and kept our corporate world feeling like a safe space where we could all connect as people.

She cared deeply about the environment, and always went out of her way to make this world a cleaner and more eco-friendly place.

I'll treasure every moment I shared with her, but mostly the ones of pure laughter. On our trip to Colombia, what I remember most is the joy we all shared. Her silliness, her sassiness, and her spunk were just a few of the things I loved about her as a dear friend. I am so grateful to have shared friendship with her during our 20s and into our 30s- she inspired me in every conversation we had.

I will miss her every single day- words cannot express the loss we have sustained, but I hope we all carry her legacy forward by continuing to foster a welcoming and warm environment, one where colleagues can become friends. It's what she did for so many of us, and we will be forever grateful to her. <3

A Cornerstone

2023-03-15 19:07:40 UTC

Likely nothing I’ll post here today about MC will be a surprise to anyone. Not because anything is cliche- but rather because she was consistently and outwardly one of the most genuinely kind, sweet, and understanding people that we likely would ever meet.

When I think of MC- I think of someone that touched every single of us in an enormous capacity- and likely was a shoulder to lean on.

MC was a significant part of a driving effort for GDM to truly help our customers- and there’s no doubt in my mind that she had this in mind as she navigates the challenges that I and the rest of our team gave her 🙂

The effort and kindness she put into her work every day allows us to better serve and help our customers and truly became a cornerstone of our process and interactions we have with our vendors every day.

What I will likely remember most fondly was how easy it was for her to try to help- like the one time I allegedly posted my password (I changed it later on her recommendation) on a public MST slack channel and she asked if she could help, even if she didn’t understand what I was saying.

MC- thank you for everything. You’ll be truly missed.

-Conal

2023-03-16 01:17:35 UTC

MC - I will never forget the first time I met her. I didn't know many people the first time I went to the office, and I sat with her at lunch. She made me feel so welcomed and at ease. I felt like I was sitting and laughing with an old friend. I can't thank her enough for the way she made me feel that day.

I will cherish all of the times that we had together. Any time I would go into the office or a Happy Hour, I would light up when I saw her because she was just the warmest and friendliest person.

My deepest sympathy goes out to you. I am so glad I had the chance to know MC.

- Kayla

sarika11 — 2023-03-16 05:22:39 UTC

I always say MC is the glue holding us all (teams in different countries) together with her vibrant and happy energy! I learnt a lot from her, be it fully expressing your love to the people or take care of your mental health always. I remember Nidhi telling us that MC might visit us in India this year and I was super excited to meet her in person. I heard stories of how much fun BCN team had in her presence and I was genuinely looking forward to it!

MC was reason, I felt super relaxed during my interview. She made sure I won't take any stress and be myself first. Even during onboarding, I used to have 1:1 with her and we chat for hours exchanging stories about our day-to-day lives and personal moments. I will definitely miss having such a lovely energy around me and I wish Mikey and Boots all the positive energy. May you get all the strength to survive this hard loss 💙

- Sarika

2023-03-16 11:36:37 UTC

Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet MC in person, but I did have the opportunity to work with her on some projects. Building relationships is not straightforward when you're connecting through your computer screen, but MC was so tremendously warm, friendly and welcoming that connecting with her was the easiest thing in the world. She was by far one of the sweetest people I have ever been lucky enough to work with. Every time we chatted she was always so lovely and smiling, and she made me feel appreciated and valued from minute one. Thank you for everything, MC. Sending all my love and care to her family, friends and teammates.

Cristina Rota

2023-03-16 12:06:00 UTC

I have worked with MC for almost 5 years in GDM and can confidently say that I have tested MC's patience, especially when I was a BD (sorry MC), however, she was always professional, friendly, loving, caring, and just an amazing person. I know that her work has given tremendous impact to the clients I personally served, and GDM will never be the same without her.

We will miss you so much.

Dylan Woodham

Un regalo de la vida 🌱

2023-03-16 17:25:45 UTC

Maria, I clearly remember my first week of work in Arlington. You came up to talk to me, you introduced yourself, we shyly started talking in English and ended up speaking in Spanish. With our same accent, we talked about the beautiful Bucaramanga, about the family and how difficult was to be far away. You told me about your upcoming plans to travel to Colombia, you asked me for advice. We connect through our country. The beautiful land, the one you never stopped admiring. You offered me to join you to lunch and one day to plan to cook arepas together. You were always a beautiful person who came to this world to leave us endless legacies of wisdom, persistence, intelligence, kindness, and love. May God embrace the hearts of your family and may you rest in peace.

- Jacklyn Soto 🇨🇴

2023-03-17 12:46:15 UTC

MC will always stay in my heart like a very positive, supportive person, who has a biggest heart and lots of empathy! I so happy that I got the chance to meet her in person, when she came to Barcelona! It was September 2022, and we celebrated her birthday in the beautiful place close to the sea! The sunset was such a remarcable this day! We spoke about all our hobbies, things which makes us happy and give power of life. We discussed plans, deeply spoke about what is waiting us in the future.. was such a beautiful time and happy that I could share with her all happiness she had during her birthday!

These memories are everything for me, and will stay forever in my heart! I will live continuing thinking of her and applying all motivation at work to make done all the projects how she would want! And of course appreciating people and spreading so much love and support to everyone, as she always did!

MC you will be always in my heart! ❤️
- Masha (MST Barcelona)

Thank you for everything MC ❤️

2023-03-17 12:48:13 UTC

I still remember the first time I talked with MC. It was during my job interview. She did her very best to make me feel comfortable, and I already had a feeling she would be an amazing person to work with. MC always made sure that everyone was always feeling good and she encouraged us so much in our work.

Her positivity and smile are things that I will never forget. She made sure to make work fun, even during the meetings and I always looked forward to those. Post-covid we used to do two meetings a week, and I remember she always asked us how we were doing and what we did on the weekend. We would also pick a theme for the meeting, and we could dress up for those. It was so much fun!

She was a light in our life and the true spirit of the team, and I will never forget her. She believed in me and gave me a chance to work in the team when I thought I didn't have enough design experience, and I will forever be grateful for that.

I also got the chance to meet her in person when she came to visit Barcelona's office and we spent her birthday with her which was amazing. It's a memory I will cherish forever.

MC was such a human person, she was an advocate for mental health, and we always felt heard and seen in the team. She was the best manager one could ask for, and I hope she's resting in peace as she deserves.

She'll be forever missed. I'm sending all my positive energy to the family and to Mikey.

- Inès

Thank you MC ❤️

2023-03-17 13:24:46 UTC

My heart breaks while I write this. I never had the opportunity to meet MC in person, although I was eagerly waiting for her to visit the India office. It surprises me how someone you've only met on office calls and who lives thousands of miles away could have a huge impact on you! For that and so many other things, I am so grateful MC. I will always regret not saying all this to you and not even thanking you enough for being the positive light that you were in our lives.

I am so thankful for the first time I talked to you in my job interview, and remember being so amazed by your kindness. Thank you for believing in me when I didn't think I was good enough for the job. Thank you for your kindness, your goofiness and everything that you were. I will always miss you!

My heart goes out to the family in this tough time, and I hope they find solace in your wonderful memories. Thank you for everything, MC and may you rest in peace.

-Ridhi

💚

2023-03-17 14:16:17 UTC

MC was an absolute joy and a light to be around. She was our rock, our mentor, and one of our greatest inspirations. I never thought that our first time meeting would also be our last, but I keep it close to my heart and cherish the little time in person we were able to spend together.

I'll miss her little reminders and her silly jokes throughout the day. I'll miss being able to talk to her about anything and everything.

She built a family with MST, and I am so grateful that she allowed me to be apart of such a dedicated, passionate, and loving team and experience how amazing she was as a person. She believed in me, advocated for me, and made me feel confident and proud of the things I was doing.

Day in and day out, she encouraged us to work hard, have fun, and be the best we could be professionally and personally. Her warmth and kindness radiated through the screen, and her energy was present, even though we were miles apart. She touched us all in different ways, and her impact will always be remembered.

From this day forward, her memory and presence will shine eternally. Her kindness and joy will stay with us forever in our hearts. Sending love to her Mikey, Boots, and all her family and friends.

Thank you for everything, thank you for being you. I hope you have found your paradise of peace and happiness.

We'll miss you forever MC. 💚

- Gabby

2023-03-17 14:50:13 UTC

MC was an incredibly positive, kind, patient, and supportive person. From the first time I met her in my interview, she instantly made me feel relaxed and welcomed. Her constant smile and warmth instantly put you at ease.

Whether we were in-person at a happy hour or virtually connecting in a meeting, MC always brought the fun and spread laughter and joy. I always loved listening to her stories about her family, adventures, and early MST memories.

MC was quick to celebrate any accomplishment you had, no matter how small. She always encouraged us to share our thoughts and ideas. She had a way of uplifting you and making you feel so smart, even if what you were saying felt silly.

MC was one of a kind, and I am so grateful I got to know her and spend time in her light. She helped me grow both within my role at work and as a person. I hope to continue living as she did, spreading kindness and looking for ways to make the world a better place.

MC’s memory and radiance will always live on in my heart. Sending love the family, Mikey, and Boots. We will never forget you, MC 💙

- Kristin

2023-03-18 11:27:59 UTC

I still remember when they sent me the offer to join the team. I was the first person hired for the Barcelona team and I remember that MC was very excited to create the new team in Spain. I was also very excited and had the feeling that I had found my place. I have always felt so lucky to have MC as my manager.. She was always there for everyone and has helped me always a lot. She was an inspiration for me. She was a wonderful person and she always made feel people special.
I remember when I received the news that MC was coming to Barcelona and I was so excited to finally meet her in person. We spend such a nice week with her and I'm so grateful that I had the chance to meet her.

Sending all my love to Mikey, Boots and all her family.

Thank you for everything MC, it's really hard to express in words how wonderful you were, I will really miss you...

- Jackie

2023-03-20 12:37:31 UTC

MC was one of the first persons to interview me during the recruitment process. I will never forget how warm she was with me and how hard she tried to make me feel calm. That´s when I knew I wanted to be a part of the team. Her saying "It will be so wonderful to have another latina in the team" will stay forever with me.
Getting to meet her in person when she came to BCN was so unique. I was able to confirm even more what a wonderful heart she had. Even though I knew her for a short time, she was a true inspiration to me and I know that to many more as well. She was so passionate about her work but also interested in the persons behind the professionals.
I learnt a lot from her and I know she will keep inspiring me and all the people who had the opportunity to meet her.

You´ll be missed forever MC. Thank you for everything.

-Mica

Thank you MC

2023-03-22 13:12:02 UTC

MC - an incredible leader, friend and colleague. You will be sorely missed. I feel privileged to have known you, worked along side you and gotten to know you as a person.

I'll always remember your kindness towards others, your bubbly personality and your drive as a woman in business.

Thank you for touching so many people's lives. Sending my love to the family.

We will miss you so much.

- Tamzyn