
Seaside Fight Promoter Angelo Henry Among Two Found Dead at SJSU Graduation Ceremony
Angelo Henry was not the kind of man who made headlines during his lifetime, but the outpouring of grief that followed his passing made one thing clear: he was the kind of man who made a difference.
Found deceased at San Jose State University’s graduation ceremony alongside another individual, his sudden death sent shockwaves through Seaside, California, and the wider Bay Area community he had spent his life investing in.
Friends and family learned of his passing through the worst possible channel, the kind of phone call nobody ever wants to receive.
Karen Voorhees, whose eldest child counted Angelo among their closest friends, described the news as something that hits too close to home. She recalled speaking with him just last month, when he rang to say how proud he was of her child.
He had his own young children, was reportedly fighting to bring another little one into his household, and was, by all accounts, doing as well as could be expected. That phone call would be their last.
James Chang, a friend who described himself as still in shock, remembered Angelo as a local fight promoter and a dear relative of the late Patt Casion. He kept his words simple because sometimes simple says it all. Angelo Henry was a great guy. Richard Dixon, who identified Angelo as his second cousin, offered a more intimate portrait of the man.
Despite carrying a different last name, Dixon confirmed they were blood, and he made sure the world knew it. He spoke of a young man who had already endured tremendous loss, having buried his grandmother, aunt, and father before his own time ran out.
Dixon acknowledged that Angelo’s life choices did not always allow his full talent to shine through, only flashes of potential, but he never questioned the purity of his heart.
The Legacy He Leaves Behind
Steven Bleecker, who referred to Angelo as his little brother, leaned on a quote often attributed to Kobe Bryant to frame the loss. The biggest mistake we make in life is thinking we have time.
For Bleecker, Angelo stood as proof that time must never be assumed or wasted. He praised Angelo for pouring himself into his community and said that watching him leave has made him more determined to live with the same sense of purpose.
What emerges from these tributes is a portrait of a man who was many things to many people. A best friend. A cousin. A community builder. A father fighting for his children.
A son of Seaside who never stopped checking in on the people he loved. He sent random calls not because he needed anything, but because he cared. That kind of consistent, uncalculated love is rarer than most people realize, and those who experienced it are feeling its absence deeply.
He leaves behind a mother, an aunt, a twin sister, children, and a community that grew richer for having known him. Seaside, California, has produced men and women who carry their city on their backs long after they leave it.
Angelo Henry was one of those people. His phone will never ring again with his voice on the other end, but the people he called will carry him forward.
Rest in peace, Angelo Henry.
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