Rest In Peace Brod
Joel Velasquez
UERM Beta Sigma 2000A Cobra
September 13, 1975 - August 11, 2018
A Brod’s Eulogy
“I am John Young, Joel is a Fraternity brother and with Tricia, they are both Godparents to my 2 kids. Briefly, I met Joel even before he was about to enroll in Medschool. He had it all planned out I guess. Being Tricia’s boyfriend then, and while Tricia’s dad happened to belong to our fraternity, Joel I guess wanted to prove he is equal to Brod Benny Santos and worthy of Tricia’s hand by joining us.
He was already hypertensive that time so during the whole process, as Wielder of the Sword or someone who oversees the initiations, It was my responsibility to make sure that he was safe until he survived the final rites as a neophyte. And while looking after him during the entire process, between checking his blood pressure, urine and checking on him in general, he was like my baby bother. And that was when Joel and I developed a special bond.
After he survived, he went on to leave for the US with Tricia after his 1st yr of med shool. Then later on, he was one of the first Brods and friends who visited me when I moved to New Jersey. Our kinship got stronger when we met up regularly everytime I would bring my family up to New York. We would also have small gatherings during Birthdays and Christmas where he would dress up as Santa Claus for the kids.
One crazy gathering was when he decided to have a spontaneous tequila tasting night after he came back from Mexico. I mean, ive been to wine tasting events but never to a tequila tasting night. He was talking all night about how a true tequila should be made of real agave and he was a tequila connoisseur that night. Long story short he threw up in bed and I think Tricia had the pleasure of cleaning him up while my wife had to drive us home. I’ve never had so much agave juice... That was some night...
Joel always had that charming joyful smile...that is how I will remember him and that is one thing that I will miss, dearly... Everytime I close my eyes and think of him, I can vividly see him smile at me, to realize that smile in now just a memory, breaks me.
He also has that enthusiastic presence that is always excited to hear what you have to say. As if every story is new and a thrill to him like a child listening to an adventure story. I know he loved kids. In his work and with the way he looks at them and plays with them, like how he did with mine, shows how he genuinely loves and adores them. His big big heart is more than enough to compensate for his height.
He got me into photography and cycling and although I regret not being able to ride our bikes together, one of my fondest memories of him would be that back and forth call and text messages with him before I got my 1st real bike. He’s got the top of the line bikes but he advised me that its not the brand, but its the fit and how you are comfortable with the weight and components. He will always give you his honest and humble opinion. He’s got the toys for the big boys but he never bragged about them. I’ve always known him to be very humble.
Another fond memory is running a 5k together at Central Park. I know he was preparing to do the New York City marathon that year but that was when he was diagnosed. I ran other marathons thinking of him and all the other people who is suffering from cancer and I promised him I will do New York City one day for him.
I visited him when he was at the begining of his series of treatments. You would not know that he was sick with the positive attitude that he had and with that same charming joyful smile.
The next time I saw you Joel was when you were at Cornell already asleep the entire time. I could not remember how you looked when you were sick, because you gave me a lot of memories of you with your charming joyful smile... enough to last me a lifetime.
As they say- “in the end, It’s not the years in your life that count, but the life in your years”. And I believed Joel outlived most of us.
I was there on your final rites Joel and I am here again at your last rites Brod. I choose not to say farewell Brod, but I will just say until we meet again tol. Cheers!”
By John Young Jr.
UERM 1999 C - Clover Leaf
GP 2002
