John Louis Velasco, 69, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, passed away peacefully with his wife and children by his side on Thursday, October 22, 2026. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, and is deeply missed. He was born on September 28, 1957 in Los Alamos, New Mexico to Rudolph (“Rudy”) and Callie (Maass) Velasco, the fifth of seven children. He loved to tell stories of his childhood playing with his siblings and friends around the neighborhood all day long until the street lights came on. He graduated from Los Alamos High School in 1975 and went onto what he called “the big city,” Albuquerque, to attend the University of New Mexico. He was proud to be a Lobo. He loved the study of science and graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. At a Fourth of July party in 1990, he met Barbara Joy, his future wife. On April 10, 1993, they married and John also gained his stepson, Sean Higgins. Together they all loved to camp, raft, and ski. In 1994 they welcomed their daughter Jessie and in 1997 their daughter Sarah. He was a devoted father spending their childhood years coaching their soccer teams, helping them with math problems and science experiments, and sharing his love of the outdoors with them. John spent the majority of his career as a lab technologist and report writer. He worked at Vivigen in Santa Fe for several years followed by Tricore Reference Laboratories in Albuquerque, where he served as a supervisor and eventually retired. He was also very involved with his wife at their local parish, St. John Vianney Catholic Church, and the Knights of Columbus. He was a founding member of the Knights of Columbus St. John Paul II Council and served as the Grand Knight. He was also a member of the ACTS community. He was a man of great faith. His devotion to Jesus and His Church was a part of everything he did. He was also a man of great patience, gentleness, kindness, silliness, and joy. In fact, he maintained his cheerful disposition even on his final days here with us. His favorite pastime was spending time with his family and loved ones, especially his grandchildren in recent years. They lovingly called him “Pimo,” and he loved to tell them stories and come up with their own goofy games. He also loved his dogs, the Minnesota Vikings, and anything with chocolate. In 2023, John was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called progressive supranuclear palsy, which ultimately led to his death. He handled the disease with unwavering strength. John is preceded in death by his parents Callie and Rudy Velasco, his nephew Robert Spurgeon, and his friend and brother-in-law William Spurgeon. He is survived by his wife of 33 years Barbara; his stepson Sean Higgins and wife Valarie, children K’Lin (John) Paneral and Ty Pierce, and grandchildren Reynolds, Pierce Lin, and Riot; his daughter Jessie Earnest and husband Frederick, children Juliette, Anastasia, Marianne, and Lydia; and his daughter Sarah Barton and husband Josh, children Rory and Reid. He is also survived by his siblings Gloria Velasco, Melanie (Skip) Alexander, Jim (Katherine) Velasco, Diane (Mark) Harty, Lisa Velasco-Spurgeon, and Bob (Anita) Velasco, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A visitation will be held for him on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 11:00am at St. John Vianney Catholic Church (1001 Meteor Ave NE, Rio Rancho, NM 87144), followed by a Rosary at 11:30am and a Requiem Mass at 12:00pm, with Father Scott Mansfield officiating. His burial will follow at Vista Verde Memorial Park (4310 Sara Rd, Rio Rancho, NM 87124).

A reception will be held after the burial back at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to CurePSP, Project Defending Life, or Casa Angelina.

CurePSP: https://www.psp.org Project Defending Life: https://defendinglife.org

Casa Angelina: 9977 Buckeye St. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87114