Tony "Hawk" Velasquez

     Tony "Hawk" Velasquez was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

     Tony was born on December 27, 1934, at Alameda County Hospital in Oakland, California. His parents were Lucio and Petra Velasquez. Tony was raised in Oakland, California. He was brought up to be self-confident, self-reliant and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

     Growing up in the Velasquez household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Tony was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Tony was raised with seven siblings. He had five brothers: Frank, Carlos, Ray, Tom and Alex, as well as two sisters: Vicky and Grace. Tony was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Tony and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Tony was always consistently loyal to his family.

     Tony was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Tony always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

     Always considered to be a solid friend, Tony was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Tony was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Tony to go beyond the call of duty for others. While growing up, some of his best friends were Paul Duran and Fred "Ese" Cabrera. Later in life, he became friends with Manuel, Danny and Henry Tavernier; Paulito, Lucky, Bobby and Goyo Apodaca.

     On September 17, 1967, Tony exchanged wedding vows with Carol Ann Duran at Saint Bernard's Catholic Church of Oakland, California. Compassionate and devoted to Carol, Tony held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Carol and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

     Tony brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Tony was blessed with three children: two sons, Richard and Jake, and one daughter, Tina. They were also blessed with two grandchildren, Felicia and Richard.

     Tony greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Tony enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Tony was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was Meat Cutter. He was employed by Lucky's Meat Plant. Tony worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

     Tony was an Army Veteran. He went in the military in 1958 for three years and was stationed in Germany. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Tony seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

     Tony liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Tony always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were gardening, football and boxing. Tony was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

     Tony found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and boxing.

     Tony was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Two of Tony's favorites were Titan and Alex, Rottweilers. They were best friends for 11 years.

     When Tony's unexpected retirement arrived due to illness in 1986, it was a tough transition for him and all the family. Nevertheless, because of his practical and tenacious, nature he weathered the storm. In retirement, he continued his pleasure in gardening and sports. Even in retirement, Tony continued to stay in touch with his old friends.

     Tony "Hawk" Velasquez passed away on July 26, 2009, at San Leandro Hospital in San Leandro, California, of kidney failure. He is survived by his wife Carol Velasquez, his son Richard Torres and his daughter Tina Velasquez. He was preceded in death by his son Jake. Services were held at Guerrero Mortuary in San Leandro, California. Tony was laid to rest in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Hayward, California.

     "Commitment" is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Tony "Hawk" Velasquez. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.