In Loving Memory of Carmen Velasquez,

Carmen Rivera Velasquez, the beloved matriarch for the Velasquez family, passed away peacefully on March 13, 2026. At 99 years old, she was just shy of a century; a century she spent filling the world with more light than she ever took from it.

She was surrounded by the family she built, shielded by the same boundless love she had gifted them for decades.

She was born to Ramon and Isabel Rivera on November 27, 1926 in Sonora Mexico, and was the eldest of five siblings: Ana, Raul, Eva and Maria.

Carmen is survived by her devoted husband of 74 years, Juan Garcia Velasquez, who was the love of her life.

To know “Memi” was to witness kindness in its purest form. She moved through life with a gentle grace that made everyone feel like the most important person in the room.

Her home was a sanctuary where the door was always unlocked, the coffee was always hot, and you could always find a pot of Memi’s beans on the stove.

Everyone left her table full, both in belly and heart. Her love was tangible, served up in every meal she carefully prepared.

She was, quite simply, the sweetest woman many had ever met.

Her legacy isn't found in accolades, but in the quiet, steady strength of her kindness and the many lives she made better just by being in them.

Her legacy lives on through her children: Yolanda (Thomas) Tovar, Norma (Carolina) Juvera Velasquez, Amparo Velasquez and Gilbert Velasquez, as well as her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren who adored their Memi.

She now joins her beloved son, Johnny Velasquez, in eternal rest.

She will be deeply missed and forever remain in our hearts.

Nosotras te amamos por siempre. Que en paz descanse.