Daniel (Dan) Velasco passed away in San Jose on Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at the age of 73 following complications from a brief illness.

Dan was born in Gilroy to Crisanto and Eva Velasco. He graduated from Gilroy High School in 1965. He went on to graduate from San Jose State and later became a social worker for the County of Santa Clara. Dan enjoyed a brief run as a home winemaker, a hobby that brought him more joy than fame. His winemaking taught his daughter, Johanna, the value of wine knowledge and wine appreciation. In his spare time, he loved collecting toys and selling Legos at the De Anza Flea Market where he was the original Lego dealer with his business called Uncle Dan's Toys. He had quite a following of children and adults who love Legos. Numerous nieces and nephews worked for Uncle Dan over the years, each with fond memories of hard work rewarded by coffee and donuts at 6:00 AM. Dan would reminisce about traveling as a youth with his beloved uncle to places like Big Sur, Hunter Liggett, and Morro Bay. He also enjoyed playing tennis with friends, hiking, backpacking, camping, fishing, and was generally up for any adventure. He took advantage of his daughters marrying Air Force men and traveled to the different locations where they were stationed. He had awesome memories of visiting North Dakota, Texas, Japan, and England. He traveled to Europe several times and always enjoyed seeing new things. His love of travel has inspired his daughter, Sarah and her son, Matthew, to love travel too.

Dan was a kind and loving partner to Dora. They shared many interests such as cooking, going for walks, bike riding, traveling, and anything involving their two grandsons. Nothing in life gave Dan more joy than his two grandsons, Matthew (23) and Danny (20). He was proud of all their accomplishments and cherished every moment with the two young men. Dan and Dora loved children so much and would often take nieces and nephews to Great America, Disneyland, Santa Cruz, and various other fun places. Their love of cooking and grilling was highlighted by an annual garden of citrus, tomatoes, and zucchini that gained quite a reputation for being the best around. Dan was training Dora as his grilling apprentice.

While studying at San Jose State, Dan was a member of the Army ROTC. After graduation, he became a commissioned officer and achieved the rank of Captain in the US Army.

Dan is survived by his loving wife and best friend of 51 years, Dora (Garcia); daughters; Johanna (Tony) Borrelli of Vacaville; and Sarah (Robert) Swanson of San Antonio; grandsons; Matthew Swanson of Anchorage; and Daniel Borrelli of Vacaville; mother, Eva Velasco of Gilroy; brothers; Jimmie (Lisa) Velasco of Gilroy; John (Karen) Velasco of Gilroy; and aunts, uncles, many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Dan is predeceased by his father, Crisanto Velasco.

Dan will be best remembered for his friendly and outgoing personality. He never met a stranger he didn't like. He was a fan of the Three Stooges from a young age and had quite a sense of humor. He loved crossword puzzles, puns, chess, Candy Land, and most of all, jokes. He was the ultimate trivia buff and knew something about everything. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

A memorial service will be held in the future when it is safe for groups to gather.