Luis A. Velez

Luis A. Velez, age 77, of Lorain, passed away on Saturday, July 28, 2012 at the Specialty Hospital of Lorain, Amherst, following a brief illness.
He was born on February 10, 1935 in Utuado, Puerto Rico, moving to Lorain in 1953. Luis was a former member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, after it closed he joined Sacred Heart Chapel, Lorain. Luis was employed as a barber at LaFortuna, on Pearl Avenue, for 30 years. He was the first Puerto Rican barber in the Lorain community. He was a founder of the Puerto Rican Home, where he served as it's president for 3 terms. He was an activist in the Puerto Rican community in it's infancy in the city of Lorain.
He is survived by his wife, Andreita (nee Afanador), sons; Carlos (Mirinet), of Lorain and Luis Jr. (Cherie), of FL, daughters; Andreita R. (Gregg) Arsenault, of Lorain, Diane Velez, of Elyria, Sonia (Pete Rivera) Velez, of Litchfield, and Marisol (Kyle) Velez-Fairchild, of Lorain, 7 grandchildren; Robert and Michael Sanchez, Andrea, Carlos, and Alexis Velez, Emily and Emilio Fairchild, step-granddaughter, Destini Arsenault, brothers; Jose Luis Velez, of Lorain, Jose Antonio Gonzalez, of Oberlin, Nicholas Antonio Gonzalez, of NJ, Angel Gonzalez, of Sheffield Lake, and Michael Gonzalez, of KY, and his sisters; Gloria Badillo, Rosa Torres, Ana Gonzalez, all of Puerto Rico, Lidia Gonzalez, of Westlake and Carmen Gonzalez, of Lorain.
He was preceded in death by his parents; Confesor and Amparo (nee Andujar) Velez.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday, July 31, 2012 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. in the Dovin Funeral Home, 2701 Elyria Avenue, Lorain, where services will be held on Wed. at 8:45 a.m., followed by a Mass, at 9:30 a.m., at Sacred Heart Chapel, 4301 Pearl Avenue, Lorain. Rev. Fr. William Thaden, Pastor, will officiate. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery.