Jose Velazquez

Jose Velazquez passed away surrounded by family on March 31, 2018. Jose was born March 14, 1937, and raised at his family’s ranch in El Refugio de Paredones in Jalisco state, Mexico. Jose’s parents, Vicente Velazquez and Joaquina Loza, raised their five children in a loving home with a strong respect for their Catholic faith. Jose grew up venerating Miguel Gomez Loza, a relative of Joaquina’s who was martyred in 1928 during the Cristero War and later beatified by Pope Benedict XVI.

In the 1950s, Jose first came to the United States as part of the Bracero program, a guest-worker program that brought in millions of Mexican nationals to work in agricultural jobs. Jose traveled up and down the West Coast where he excelled in the difficult work of picking fruit, even being dubbed “king of the peaches” in one town. He later returned to Mexico, where he met his beloved wife, Carmen.

In the early 1970s, the couple settled in San Francisco, where Jose joined the Laborers’ International Union of North America and worked in construction while making many lifelong friends. In the 1980s, Jose and Carmen scrimped and saved enough to buy a rundown house in South San Francisco. For years, Jose would spend all day doing construction jobs before working late into the night to renovate the South City home for his family.

That house on Baden Avenue became the site of countless joyous holiday celebrations. One of Jose’s greatest passions was entertaining, and he was known for inviting everyone from close family to the mail carrier into the house for a taste of his large collection of fine tequilas. During his lengthy retirement, Jose also enjoyed painting, gardening, and watching Chivas or the Mexican national team play football. He always insisted on washing the dishes and vacuuming so his wife could rest her feet, long before most men started contributing in the home. In the 1990s, Jose fulfilled a longtime dream of becoming a citizen of the United States.

Jose is survived by his wife of 48 years, Carmen; his daughters Giselle and Lizeth; his granddaughter Daniela; his sisters Josefina Velazquez Sotelo and Hildelisa Galleguillos; and dozens of nieces and nephews. All of us who were left behind love and miss him desperately. Jose has been reunited with his parents, Vicente and Joaquina; his sister Carmen Sanchez; and his brother Salvador Velazquez.

Friends and family are invited to visit between 4PM-8PM, Wed. April 4 at Garden Chapel. Vigil will begin at 7PM. Mass will be Thurs. April 5th, 10AM at All Souls Church, 315 Walnut Ave. SSF. Committal Cypress Lawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to two of Jose’s favorite charities, Smile Train and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Condolences may also be made at www.gardenchapel885.com