Adrian J. Velazquez

                                                                                        Adrian Javier Velazquez

                                                                                 December 14, 1998 - March 3, 2018

Adrian J. Velazquez, 19, died suddenly on Saturday, March 3, 2018 resulting from injuries sustained in an automobile accident in New Castle, Delaware. He was returning home from a trip with his friends to pick up a new puppy.

Relatives and friends are invited to visit at the Thiele-Reid Family Funeral Home, 585 Belgrove Drive, Kearny, NJ on Thursday, March 8, 2018 from 4 to 8 p.m.

A Funeral Mass will be offered in St. Cecilia Church, Kearny on Friday at 10:00 a.m. Cremation will be private

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to the Adrian Velazquez Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Ironbound Soccer Club, Attn: Al Coutinho 11 Providence Street Newark, NJ ⁰⁷¹⁰⁵

Adrian Javier Velazquez was born on December 14^th, 1998 at St. Barnabas Hospital in Livingston, New Jersey.  He was brought into this world by his parents Javier and Tania, and his big brother Alexi was filled with joy.  He grew up in Kearny, NJ, where he learned to play soccer and went through all of his years of schooling through the Kearny Public Schools. 

At first glance, Adrian was very shy at first, but once he cracked his smile, he was your friend and would help you in any way possible.  As a son, he did everything he could to help out his family members, especially when his older brother left for school.  He went above and beyond to take on the role of the older brother and be a role model to his baby brother Daniel.  This was a testament to his role as a brother, as he supported his older and young brother, doing whatever he could to help them out.  As a friend, he was there for every one of his friends and did what he could to make them smile and make sure they were happy.

Adrian began his soccer playing career for Kearny Shoprite, a team coached by his father and accompanied his brother on the field, at just 3 years old.  At age 5, he began to play for Den of Lions in Newark, NJ, coached by his father Javier.  In his years at this club, he amazed everyone with his composure and ability to strike the ball so well at such a young age.  When he was 12, he took his talents to Ironbound Soccer Club of Newark, NJ, and continued to amaze and conquer on the field while still being coached by his father.  At age 16, he joined Soccer Domain Football Club of Montclair, NJ, where he won the National League Title and played in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship series in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  After his successful club soccer career, he committed to Rutgers University-Newark Soccer which competes in the NCAA Division III.

During his high school years, he was a standout player for the freshmen soccer team, earning himself the Team MVP in 2013.  His sophomore year, he was selected for the Kearny Varsity soccer team and started every single game.  He helped his team tie the original shutout record for one season.  The team won the Hudson County Tournament and had an undefeated regular season.  After their run in states was cut short, Adrian scored his first career high school goal in the last game he shared with his brother and teammate, Alexi.  His junior year, he again was a standout center back and lead his side to another successful season, becoming back to back Hudson County champions.  His final season of high school soccer, Adrian was named captain and helped lead his team to the North 1 Group 4 Sectional finals, scoring the game winning penalty kick to bring the trophy back to Kearny for the first time since 2011.

After his graduation from Kearny High School, he began his freshmen year at Rutgers Newark, earning a starting spot very quickly and was named NJAC Rookie of the Week after his stellar performances throughout the Brick City Classic, hosted by Rutgers Newark.  Adrian became “a staple of the stingy Rutgers-Newark defense” and received his second NJAC Rookie of the Week honor after helping his team defeat Rowan University in the NJAC Championship game.  This championship was the first in program history.  They continued their season into the NCAA tournament, making it to the final 32 before losing to Brandeis University.

Adrian is survived by his mother Tania Rivero, step-father Juan Rivero, father Javier Velazquez, and step-mother Adriana Velazquez.  He is also survived by his two brothers, Alexi and Daniel, his five step-sisters, Anicia, Gabriella, and Stephanie Rivero, and Lorena and Romina Gomez.  Adrian is also survived by many aunts, uncles, and cousins, as well as his grandmother Marta Velazquez and Gervasio Escribano.

Words alone cannot describe how impactful Adrian was to everyone.  He was a leader, a great friend, an amazing brother, and an even better son.  The amount of people he has impacted is a testament to what a great man he was and why he is going to be missed so dearly.  He was beloved by his friends, family, and teammates that he met throughout his life.  He was taken from us far too early, but he will continue to watch over the family he treasured and we will all miss him dearly.

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