Anne F. "Kaufman" Velis

Warwick, RI – Anne F. (Kaufman) Velis, 88, the beloved wife of the late Dr. Oswaldo Rodriguez Velis, MD, died Sunday, December 21, 2025, at Kent Hospital in Warwick.

Born on October 18, 1937, in Providence, Rhode Island, Anne had a pleasant childhood growing up in Warwick Neck, with her parents, Morris H. Kaufman and Lorene H. (Freund) Kaufman, and three siblings, her twin sister Dianne, and her brothers Alan and Arthur, who were also twins. Her parents and her siblings all predeceased her.

She graduated in 1955 from Gorton High School in Warwick and attended Vermont College in Montpelier, where she was the president of her graduating class.

In February 1958, while working as a medical technologist in the pathology lab at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, she met Oswaldo R. Velis, MD, a young cardiology resident from Cuba. They married in October of that year. Anne had three children: Catherine Velis Millar of Durham, NC, Elizabeth Anne Velis of Warwick, RI and John Oswaldo Velis, of New York City.

Anne lived in Warwick where she was very involved with her family and volunteer activities until 1978 when she began working for the Warwick School Department, first at Park Elementary School, and later at Winman Junior High School, and ultimately Toll Gate High School, where she ran science laboratory classes and later worked in special education. Anne retired in the fall of 2024, totaling 47 years of service as an educator.

While at Toll Gate she served as a coach of the Academic Decathlon team. She also served as a judge for the Decathlon, the Science Fair, and school senior projects. She enjoyed chaperoning at school proms and dances. She was an advisor and mentor to students and colleagues alike and was a constant presence in the life of the schools where she worked.

Also, while working and raising her family, Anne attended Providence College, graduating in 1990 with a bachelor's degree. She was a proud "Nighttime Friar" and maintained ties to PC through her charitable donations and support of PC athletics. She also cheered for the Duke University Blue Devils basketball team, her two daughters' alma mater.

She was active in the affairs at the Kent Hospital, where her husband was a physician for 41 years. A "friend of Kent", she was an officer in the Hospital Auxiliary. In 2006, she established the Dr. Oswaldo R. Velis Endowed Fund for Cardiac Care. In 2008, on National Philanthropy Day, she was cited by the Kent Hospital Foundation as a generous benefactor and friend to the Hospital.

She and Oswaldo were happily married for 48 years until his death in 2006 after a prolonged battle with cancer. During that time, Anne's tireless and loving support as caregiver and advocate while he underwent three years of experimental therapy is something she once described as her most gratifying act as a wife.

At home, Anne was a keen gardener. She delighted in her summer gardens, indoor plants, and stunning arrangements. She enjoyed travelling with her husband and children. The Velis house was the center of holiday gatherings with extended family, for which Anne served as culinary and artistic director. She had a rich social life and was grateful for her close circle of family and friends, who have supported her through both good and bad times.

In addition to her three children, Catherine, Elizabeth and John, Anne was a devoted "Grandma" to her grandson, Quinn Tyler Millar, and to her granddaughter, Sarah Anne Millar. She was the beloved mother-in-law of Kim Karl Millar, and the sister-in-law of Mary Kaufman, Kathryn Keever Kaufman, and Marina Rodriguez, MD.

Anne and her family are grateful to the doctors, nurses and staff at Kent Hospital for the excellent, attentive and kind care she received during her final days. The family is particularly grateful to the VNA of Care New England and its hospice services.

Calling hours will be held at Carpenter-Jenks Funeral Home, 659 East Greenwich Avenue, West Warwick, on Sunday, December 28, 2025, from 2:00 – 5:00 PM. The funeral procession will gather at the funeral home on Monday, December 29, 2025, at 8:45 AM followed by a mass of Christian Burial celebrated in St. Gregory the Great Church, 360 Cowesett Avenue, Warwick, at 10 AM. Burial will be in Swan Point Cemetery, Providence.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Anne's memory may be made to the Dr. Oswaldo R. Velis Endowed Fund for Cardiac Care, c/o the Kent Hospital Foundation, 200 Butler Drive, Providence, RI 02906 or online at https://foundation.kentri.org/. Condolences may also be offered to her family and favorite memories of Anne shared online at www.carpenterjenks.com.