This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Willis Veluz-Abraham, 42, born on June 24, 1970 and passed away on July 14, 2012.
Willis was a dedicated husband and father, a loyal and loving friend, and a man with a deep faith in God. He inspired us all to become more than, and better than what we were.
NEWS:
Today marks the 45th anniversary of Willis' birth (June 25, 2015). Happy birthday Big Will!!! We are still thinking about you and miss you every day!
Tributes
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It is remarkable that 10 years have passed since you left us for the world beyond. This week has been full of reflection and deep, abiding, gratitude for the abundant and overflowing love you shared with us, and for the profound inspiration you have been. You are an extraordinary soul and your gifts endure. May we all be blessed to see you again in God's time.
- Kirk E.
You are missed by all of us as we remember you on what would have been your 50th birthday! We can imagine you having a big old party with lots of laughing, eating, music and dancing. You would be so proud of your boys and Melissa who is a fantastic mother! May God continue to bless you and keep you till we meet again.
Love, from Kirk, Sheba, Roshni and Vinay Edwards
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Baby pictures
Dear Will,
It is hard to believe that you’ve been gone seven years. We were looking at some old slides of Kirk’s father and came across pictures from the neighborhood and birthday parties. And it was always easy to pick you out because your expressions of wonder, joy and fun lovingness stuck with you to adulthood We love you and miss you much.
Thought of you!
We are in the process of moving and in digging out an old album from our Days at El Cerrito I saw your sophomore picture! You signed it and told me you could only give me a small wallet because your acne didn’t show up as much. We laughed together and we swore we could count each pimple on our teenage faces! Simple sweet memories. You are always missed and thought of! ❤️
Willis, Melissa, and Kung-Fu: By Geoffrey O'Brien
Many people know of Willis’ accomplishments with his work and his church outreach programs. Not many people know that Willis and Melissa are both accomplished martial artists. I first met Willis in 2003 at our Kung Fu School. He and Melissa were already advanced students, training upwards of 4 days a week. Willis tended to add his own ‘flavor’ into the martial arts routines we were learning. The term “Big Willy Style” was coined, and seemed to encourage him to go further with his own unique interpretations of traditional moves. Looking back, it’s obvious he put this “Big Willy Style” into everything he did. He lived his life with Big Willy Style. I’ve put together a short video of some of his tournament footage, in the videos section of this site. Willis, there will never again be anyone quite like you. I am humbled to have known you as a friend.
Sincerely, Geoffrey O'Brien.