San Marcos High School Mourns Death Of Student

San Marcos High School students are mourning the loss of an 11th-grader who passed away unexpectedly Friday night.

Classmates used words like “joyful,” “happy,” and “helpful” to describe Jorge Lopez Silva, also known to his family as “Isac.” The 17-year-old wasn’t the big man on campus but he was a good, loyal friend.

It was a devastating end to what seemed like a routine illness. Jorge stayed home from school Friday, complaining of a fever. His dad told principal Ed Behrens that his son had been suffering from flu-like symptoms so he stayed home from school that day.

“The father informed me that he noticed that his son had stopped breathing,” said Behrens. “He called 911 … They said he still had a pulse. They transported him to the hospital. They’re saying natural causes.”

“We just can’t believe that he’s gone. We loved him very much,” said Lucia Rito, a ninth-grader at SMHS and Jorge’s cousin. “He messaged me Friday morning that he wasn’t feeling well … He told me he had a fever and couldn’t sleep at night.”

“We’re all just confused about the fact that a 17-year-old is dying of natural causes,” said Behrens. “Obviously, whatever the cause is, we want to support the family and support the students here.”

School staffers set up a two day compassion center in the school’s library, with the help of his friend Lorena Miranda, a 10th-grader.

“I thought we would all appreciate this and as our friends, we love and care for him and we think it’s … he would enjoy this,” said Miranda.

Groups of students dropped in to draw posters in memory of their good friend and sign cards. A tin canister with the Virgin Mary sits on one the tables, collecting donations for Jorge’s family.

“He would always have a smile,” said Jose Damaso, Jorge’s friend of six years. “He would always be happy. He would never be down.”

“He would give me car rides if I won’t have money for the bus,” said friend and classmate Jason Santos. “He was just a good friend to me.”

Jorge loved cars and wanted to study the auto mechanic trade after high school. Instead of seeing him off to college, his parents are now hoping to send Jorge’s body back home to Mexico to be buried.

San Marcos High School’s “Kids Helping Kids” group is collecting donations to help with funeral costs.

A rosary will be held Friday evening at Holy Cross Church on Cliff Drive in Santa Barbara.