Luis J. Velasco

On Friday, January 7, 2022, Luis Velasco passed away peacefully at his home in Rockville, MD after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s. Luis was born December 22, 1927 in Santiago, Chile. Beloved husband of Maria Eugenia, his wife of 60 years. Devoted father to Maria (Paul Mullins) of Rockville, MD, Paz (Larry Galey) of Potomac, MD and Carolina (Pat McKenzie) of Washington, D.C. Adoring grandfather of Bryan, Brady, Brendan, and Bryce Galey, and Kevin, Kyle, Colin, and Ally McKenzie. Pre-deceased by 6 sisters and 1 brother, Luis is survived by his sister, Eulalia Velasco, of Santiago, Chile. He leaves behind many lifelong friends both here and in Chile, and a large extended family residing primarily in Chile.

Holding a degree in civil engineering from the Catholic University of Santiago, Chile, Luis began his career working for a Chilean private sector utility company. In 1961 Luis joined the Chilean Development Corporation (CORFO) which ultimately led to the family’s move to New York in 1968. There Luis was Project Manager and Director of CORFO’s office in NYC. Due to Chilean governmental instability, Luis left CORFO in 1971 and joined the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Washington, D.C. He earned an M.A. in Economics from Georgetown University in 1976 and completed his IDB career as Division Chief, Operations Department – Caribbean when he retired in 1992. After retirement, Luis continued his career as an independent consultant to various Chilean development enterprises advancing micro-entrepreneurships aimed at alleviating hard poverty in his beloved home country. Until his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Luis also held several volunteer posts in IDB’s Retirees Association.

Nothing was more important to Luis than his family, particularly his beloved wife, Maria Eugenia, for whom he valiantly fought his disease in hopes of accompanying her for the remainder of her life, but God had other plans. In earlier years, the family enjoyed Sunday drives exploring the outer perimeters of the D.C. region and antiquing along the way; summer beach trips to Delaware; and travelling throughout the Americas and Europe. Bar none, his favorite travel was to his “Chilito lindo” every other year for month-long Christmas stays. He adored his grandchildren, who all called him by a traditional Chilean nickname for grandpa, Tata, and relished every moment he spent with them. Tata's birthday celebration right before Christmas was a cherished annual event for the entire family.

An intelligent and intellectual man, Luis enjoyed philosophical discussions with both friends and family alike. This deep, more serious side, sometimes contrasted starkly with his humorous side. Even toward the end when it may have manifested only as a raised eyebrow or an upturned corner of his mouth, Luis possessed a subtly sarcastic humor much appreciated by all except maybe the recipient. But being a loving, gentle man, the sting never lasted. He was a deeply faithful Catholic and volunteered at his parish as much as possible. Luis was a lover of art who enjoyed oil painting, his preferred medium, and visiting art museums during his travels with his wife. Until he was no longer mobile, his birthday included an annual trip to the National Gallery of Art in D.C. Luis’s other hobbies included DIY home projects of all kinds, reading books in his preferred genres - art, religion and spirituality, and the humanities and social sciences - and listening to classical music.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in Rockville, MD on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 12:00 noon followed by a reception in the Church Commons. Internment at Gate of Heaven private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Montgomery Hospice, Inc. at montgomeryhospice.org in Luis’s memory.