Ph. D Wayne F. Velicer

Wayne F. Velicer, Ph. D, 73, of Wakefield, passed away peacefully Sunday, October 15th. He was the beloved husband of Anna (Cruz) Velicer. Born in Green Bay Wisconsin, he was a son of the late Frank and Julia (Cherney) Velicer. Dr. Velicer was Co-Director of the Cancer Research Center at the University of Rhode Island and was a world-renowned expert in Behavioral Health. He had over 200 publications which have been consulted for research over 44,000 times. He enjoyed traveling making wine, listening to classical and jazz music, and spending time with family and friends. Besides his wife he is survived by two sons, Scott J. Velicer, and his wife Alexa, and Clayton F. Velicer, all of Oakland, CA; three stepchildren, Stanley Gemmell of Kingston, Michelle Denton of Boca Raton, FL, and Jesse Orozco of Kingston; and two grandchildren, Michaela Denton and Maria Denton. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 am Saturday in Christ the King Church, 180 Old North Road, Kingston. Burial will be private. Visiting hours will be at the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia Street, Wakefield, Friday, 4-7 pm. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the URI Foundation (for a scholarship in Dr. Velicer’s name), 79 Upper College Road, Kingston, RI 02881 or to https://www.gofundme.com/hurricaine-maria-w-f-velicer-relief.