JOHNNY W. VELEZ, JR.

Johnny W. Velez Jr. was born on August 9, 1967 in Brooklyn, New York, to

Johnny W. Velez Sr. and Maria Vargas. Johnny was the third of four siblings.

Johnny graduated from John Jay College with a Bachelor of Science in Legal

Studies and later earned his Master’s Degree from the Metropolitan College

of New York, where he also served as an adjunct professor.

In 2010, Johnny met the love of his life, his wife, Kenko Ogino. He invited Kenko

to see the movie “Eat, Pray, Love” on their first date. Johnny was a devoted

movie lover, and this shared passion helped bring the two together.

Johnny and Kenko were married in 2018 and shared 15 years together since

they first met. He was a loving and caring husband to his wife, Kenko, and to

their four-legged son, Maru, from Japan. They traveled to Japan frequently

and experienced many unique places, including exploring the northern island

of Hokkaido, climbing Mt. Fuji, and walking the pilgrimage to the 88 temples

of Shikoku Island.

Johnny dedicated 20 years to military service with the United States Air Force

and the New York Guard, along with 26 years of experience as a paralegal.

His awards from the New York Guard included NYS Pandemic Response

Service, Long and Faithful Service, NYG Service Ribbon, NYG Commander’s

Citation, and the State Guard Association MEMS. He committed his life to

Emergency Management, making positive contributions to the community.

Johnny is survived by his wife, Kenko Ogino; his beloved dog, Maru Ogino Velez;

his father, Johnny W. Velez Sr.; his mother, Maria Vargas; his sister,

Ivelisse Pluss; his brother, Marcus Velez Jr.; and many nieces, nephews, cousins,

extended family members, and lifelong friends.

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