Donald Elijio Velasquez

Donald Elijio Velasquez Sr., 89, of Bailey, Colorado, passed away on September 20th, 2022, in his home.

Donald was born in Burley, Idaho to Jose Elijio and Phyllis Pearl Velasquez on September 11, 1933. He went to high school at Gooding High School and left in 1950. He then volunteered for the US NAVY and served for 4 years during the Korean War. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from The University of Idaho. He married Margaret Lipinsky in 1961 and after her passing, he married Grace Cisneros in 1997. He worked for The CIA (10 years), the US Forest Service (10 years), the Department of Energy (9 years), and then the Colorado School of Mines (10 years). After that he was a world traveler and he enjoyed driving to visit his children and grandchildren. His hobbies were hiking, camping, fishing, and watching baseball. He has received so many awards and recognition it is hard to list them all. The one he was most proud of was his honorary doctorate as founder of the Minority Engineering Program at Colorado School of Mines. He was involved in Boy Scouts of America, Soccer coach to his kids, Knights of Columbus. He actively assisted his wife Grace in her ministry in Mexico. He was also very involved with St Mary’s of the Rockies Catholic Church.

Donald is survived by his wife, Grace; Children: Donald Jr, Daniel, Pepe, Marina, Regina (Cisneros), John, Katrina (Olson), and Paul; Grandchildren: Shawn, Bryan, Gabriel, Zachary, Noah, Roka, Erika, Marlin, Lucetta, Serena, and Dionicio; Great-grandchildren: Mason; Siblings: Phyllis (Taylor), Geneva (Irwin), Theressa (Henscheid), Sister Mary Esther (Kathryn), and Deborah Anne Velasquez Mackley. He is preceded in death by his first wife, Margaret and his brother, Philemon (Joe).

Services will be held at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Rupert, Idaho on October 22, 2022 (Recitation of the Rosary at 12:30 p.m., and Funeral Mass at 1:00 p.m.). There will be a procession to the cemetery for interment, immediately followed by a reception.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St Mary of the Rockies Catholic Church, 236 Bulldogger Rd, Bailey, CO 80421.