Brenda Velez

Brenda J. Velez, born in September 1942 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico, passed away peacefully surrounded by the love of her family. She lived a life guided by deeply held values of truth, knowledge, and honesty, which shaped both her professional accomplishments and her personal relationships.

Brenda devoted much of her career to public service at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), working within the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). As a contracting officer and contract specialist, she supported critical scientific research and public health initiatives. In 1999, she was promoted to Chief of the Contract Management Branch, a role she held until her retirement in 2003. She took great pride in contributing to work that advanced medical research and improved lives.

In 1974, Brenda also helped establish a non-traditional university, Universidad Boricua. The institution later became Boricua College, which today operates three campuses in New York and continues to serve diverse and often underserved communities. Her early involvement reflected her strong belief in education and access to opportunity.

Even in retirement, Brenda remained deeply curious about the world. She believed learning never truly ends and approached life with a thoughtful mind and a questioning spirit. She also found meaning in staying engaged with others through her volunteer community, where she built genuine connections and shared her time and care generously.

Family was at the heart of Brenda’s life. She valued honest conversation, mutual respect, and genuine connection. Along with her family, she was deeply appreciated by the neighbors who cared for her so dearly and by the volunteer community that became an important part of her life. Those who knew and loved her will remember her for her intelligence, integrity, curiosity, and the quiet depth of care she showed to the people around her.

She will be remembered with love and gratitude by her family, her dear neighbors, her volunteer community, and all whose lives she touched.

A celebration of Brenda’s life will be held in late spring or early summer at Greenbelt Lake. Details will be shared with family and friends in the coming months.