Celso Velazquez Lara

Mr. Celso Velazquez Lara, age 55, passed away on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, in Haywood County. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at 3:00 PM, at the Lea & Simmons Funeral Home in Brownsville, TN, with Bro. Ralph Brown and Kyle Vernon officiating. Burial will follow at Brownsville Memorial Gardens in Brownsville, TN. A Visitation for Mr. Lara will be held on Saturday, September 18, 2021, from 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM at the Lea and Simmons Funeral Home. Celso was born on July 27, 1966, in Veracruz, Mexico to Juan and Amelia Lara. He worked as a yard foreman for Hutcherson Metals for 25 years. He was a simple man who was kind and dependable. He was the kind of person who would help anyone. He became a citizen of the United States of America in 2010. He loved everything about horses, whether it was raising them, riding them, selling them, or grooming them. Family was important to him, and he especially loved spending time with his grandbabies. He is survived by his wife, Paula Hanley Lara of Brownsville, TN; two sons, Erik Lara of San Francisco, CA and Jonathan Lara of Brownsville, TN; two daughters, Cecilia Lara of San Francisco, CA and Victoria Rojas (Arturo) of Alamo, TN; three brothers, Pedro Lara (Teodora), Teodoro Lara, Antonia Lara (Racquel); four sisters, Petra Lara, Catalina Lara, Lucina Lara, Andrea Lara; and he also leaves a legacy of one grandchild, Isaac Rojas, and his bonus grandsons, TJ, Eli, and Colton. He was preceded in death by his father, Juan Lara; his mother, Amelia Lara; his mother-in-law, Anne Hanley, and one son, Celso Lara. Pallbearers for the service are Steve Watkins, Thomas Womble, Billy Campbell, Reid Hodge, Andy Vaughn, and Guy Hutcherson. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested memorials to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Depart. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908. All arrangements and services are under the direction of the Lea & Simmons Funeral Home in Brownsville, TN.