Though we may mourn the passing, we will celebrate his life…and what a life it was! Robert James Velazquez “Pops” was born on October 20, 1947 to Antonio and MariaVelazquez, lovingly known as Ma and Pa. He lived most of his life, married and raisingchildren and grandchildren on Green Bay. For many of us, Green Bay will always behome. Pops was self-taught, though he would quickly declare he could not read, he never met an auto mechanic, plumbing and electrical book he couldn’t decipher. He would read to fix anything. He would read to learn song lyrics. He would read to learn about his never-ending hobbies… all the while telling you he couldn’t read. Pops was endless. He had no ceiling. Though his stature was barely 5’1 on a really good day, he stood head and shoulders above most men. He was inquisitive and a problem-solver. He could figure out just about anything and master almost everything. Pops was a guitarist, harmonicist, and singer. A juggler and a hand-walker. He was a magician and a dancer. He was a plumber, electrician, builder, mechanic, roofer. He was a videographer and music director. He was a joker and photographer. He even embroidered. Pops lived his life the way we all should: exploring and growing.

 Around 1965, Pops sealed his fate. He met a girl. Her name was Liz. Pops charmed himself a playboy and though he attempted to juggle a couple of girls, he would turn to focus all his might and attention on Liz. They decided to run away and get married. Pops would drive around for hours with Liz’s parents in the backseat and Liz hiding in the trunk until he finally drove them home, promising to bring back Liz if he could find her. Instead, they sped off to Crown Point, Indiana and got married. Pops with no socks on his feet. Together they built a family of children, grandchildren, and great children. They extended their family and home to a host of cousins, friends, and even friends of friends. He was everyone’s Pops. He spent his life working the steel mills. First, US Steel and then ACME Steel. After ACME closed and Pops retired, he went back to work at Fosbel and later retired again. He was a bricklayer and could run all the machines like cherry pickers and forklifts. He made “white hat” at ACME and for the first time in our lives, Pops had clean hands—until he jumped right back in and continued to work because that’s who Pops was: a worker, a doer .

Though we may mourn the passing, we will celebrate his life…and what a life it was! Robert James Velazquez “Pops” was born on October 20, 1947 to Antonio and Maria Velazquez, lovingly known as Ma and Pa. He lived most of his life, married and raising children and grandchildren on Green Bay. For many of us, Green Bay will always be home. Pops was self-taught, though he would quickly declare he could not read, he never met an auto mechanic, plumbing and electrical book he couldn’t decipher. He would read to fix anything. He would read to learn song lyrics. He would read to learn about his never-ending hobbies… all the while telling you he couldn’t read. Pops was endless. He had no ceiling. Though his stature was barely 5’1 on a really good day, he stood head and shoulders above most men. He was inquisitive and a problem-solver. He could figure out just about anything and master almost everything. 

Pops was a guitarist, harmonicist, and singer. A juggler and a hand-walker. He was a magician and a dancer. He was a plumber, electrician, builder, mechanic, roofer. He was a videographer and music director. He was a joker and photographer. He even embroidered. Pops lived is life the way we all should: exploring and growing. Around 1965, Pops sealed his fate. He met a girl. Her name was Liz. Pops charmed himself a playboy and though he attempted to juggle a couple of girls, he would turn to focus all his might and attention on Liz. They decided to run away and get married. Pops would drive around for hours with Liz’s parents in the backseat and Liz hiding in the trunk until he finally drove them home, promising to bring back Liz if he could find her. Instead, they sped off to Crown Point, Indiana and got married. Pops with no socks on his feet. Together they built a family of children, grandchildren, and great children. They extended their family and home to a host of cousins, friends, and even friends of friends. He was everyone’s Pops. 

He spent his life working the steel mills. First, US Steel and then ACME Steel. After ACME closed and Pops retired, he went back to work at Fosbel and later retired again. He was a bricklayer and could run all the machines like cherry pickers and forklifts. He made “white hat” at ACME and for the first time in our lives, Pops had clean hands—until he jumped right back in and continued to work because that’s who Pops was: a worker, a doerThough we may mourn the passing, we will celebrate his life…and what a life it was! Robert James Velazquez “Pops” was born on October 20, 1947 to Antonio and Maria Velazquez, lovingly known as Ma and Pa. He lived most of his life, married and raising children and grandchildren on Green Bay. For many of us, Green Bay will always be home. Pops was self-taught, though he would quickly declare he could not read, he never met an auto mechanic, plumbing and electrical book he couldn’t decipher. He would read to fix anything. He would read to learn song lyrics. 

He would read to learn about his never-ending hobbies… all the while telling you he couldn’t read. Pops was endless. He had no ceiling. Though his stature was barely 5’1 on a really good day, he stood head and shoulders above most men. He was inquisitive and a problem-solver. He could figure out just about anything and master almost everything. Pops was a guitarist, harmonicist, and singer. A juggler and a hand-walker. He was a magician and a dancer. He was a plumber, electrician, builder, mechanic, roofer. He was a videographer and music director. He was a joker and photographer. He even embroidered. Pops lived his life the way we all should: exploring and growing. Around 1965, Pops sealed his fate. He met a girl. Her name was Liz. Pops charmed himself a playboy and though he attempted to juggle a couple of girls, he would turn to focus all his might and attention on Liz. 

They decided to run away and get married. Pops would drive around for hours with Liz’s parents in the backseat and Liz hiding in the trunk until he finally drove them home, promising to bring back Liz if he could find her. Instead, they sped off to Crown Point, Indiana and got married. Pops with no socks on his feet. Together they built a family of children, grandchildren, and great children. They extended their family and home to a host of cousins, friends, and even friends offriends. He was everyone’s Pops. He spent his life working the steel mills. First, USSteel and then ACME Steel. After ACME closed and Pops retired, he went back to work at Fosbel and later retired again. He was a bricklayer and could run all the machines like cherry pickers and forklifts. He made “white hat” at ACME and for the first time in our lives, Pops had clean hands—until he jumped right back in and continued to work because that’s who Pops was: a worker, a doerThough we may mourn the passing, we will celebrate his life…and what a life it was! Robert James Velazquez “Pops” was born on October 20, 1947 to Antonio and Maria Velazquez, lovingly known as Ma and Pa. He lived most of his life, married and raising children and grandchildren on Green Bay. 

For many of us, Green Bay will always be home. Pops was self-taught, though he would quickly declare he could not read, he never met an auto mechanic, plumbing and electrical book he couldn’t decipher. He would read to fix anything. He would read to learn song lyrics. He would read to learn about his never-ending hobbies… all the while telling you he couldn’t read. Pops was endless. He had no ceiling. Though his stature was barely 5’1 on a really good day, he stood head and shoulders above most men. He was inquisitive and a problem-solver. He could figure out just about anything and master almost everything. Pops was a guitarist, harmonicist, and singer. A juggler and a hand-walker. He was a magician and a dancer. He was a plumber, electrician, builder, mechanic, roofer. He was a videographer and music director. He was a joker and photographer. He even embroidered.

 Pops lived his life the way we all should: exploring and growing. Around 1965, Pops sealed his fate. He met a girl. Her name was Liz. Pops charmed himself a playboy and though he attempted to juggle a couple of girls, he would turn to focus all his might and attention on Liz. They decided to run away and get married. Pops would drive around for hours with Liz’s parents in the backseat and Liz hiding in the trunk until he finally drove them home, promising to bring back Liz if he could find her. Instead, they sped off to Crown Point, Indiana and got married. Pops with no socks on his feet. Together they built a family of children, grandchildren, and great children. They extended their family and home to a host of cousins, friends, and even friends of friends. He was everyone’s Pops. He spent his life working the steel mills. First, US Steel and then ACME Steel. After ACME closed and Pops retired, he went back to work at Fosbel and later retired again. He was a bricklayer and could run all the machines like cherry pickers and forklifts. He made “white hat” at ACME and for the first time in our lives, Pops had clean hands—until he jumped right back in and continued to work because that’s who Pops was: a worker, a doer.

Pops leaves behind his five children: Amy (Isaac), Bobby (Vicky), Cindy (Anton), David, and Samantha. He also leaves his grandchildren: Anthony, David, Gino, Carlos, Robert, Elizabeth, his beloved grandson Leonardo (known as Cleo to Pops) with whom he is at peace, Siobhvan, Mikey, Lee, Patricia, Christine, Savonce, Mixon, Na’Shaun, Nate who is also in heaven, Nyeli, Wendy, and Junior as well as many great grandchildren. There are many family members and friends who will miss him and know their lives were just a bit better because Pops was in it. Though we mourn this passing, we will celebrate his life. We know that he was ready. We know he wanted to get to those gates.