John Velez

“No one’s going to just give you what you want in life; you have to put in the work and earn it yourself.”

John Velez found peace in the Lord’s embrace on August 13, 2026 following a long, multi-year fight with Stage 4 cancer. He was 71 years old.

John…Johnny…Dad…Grandpa…was a man of many dualities: he taught his children to take care of and understand the value of things…while not being materialistic. He didn’t particularly enjoy being around crowds of people...and yet wouldn’t hesitate to help family or friends in need. And to the outside world, he was a quietly stoic man...who in the privacy of his home would have long talks with his wife, sing his baby girl to sleep, laugh loudly alongside his family, and love bigger than Texas.

John was born June 24th, 1955, in Mason, TX. Since his family was dependent on seasonal work, he moved quite a bit, ranging from Idaho to Georgia and generally attending a different school from kindergarten through high school. Overcoming that instability, he attended Angelo State University; there he met the love of his life, Debbie. They got married, kicking off a team-up that endured nearly 50 years. Following a fulfilling and successful enlistment in the Air Force that included the birth of his two sons, John took his young family virtually sight unseen to Houston, TX where he leveraged his skills to join the growing Information technology sector…fulfilling his principal goal of building a stable and comfortable life for his wife, sons, and treasured baby girl.

John was preceded in death by his father Felix, mother Brigida, sisters Lala and Minerva, and brother Felix Jr. He will be lovingly remembered and missed by his wife Debbie, sons Chris and Mike, daughter Melissa, daughters-in-law Samantha and Adrian, son-in-law Albert, and 8 amazing grandchildren.