Read and comment on this obituary from the San Antonio Express-News on Emilie Carla Ramirez who graduated from Incarnate Word College and was part of the group of young, idealistic Americans who heeded President Kennedy's plea to serve their country when she joined the Peace Corps and served in Bolivia from 1966 to 1968. Read the obituary at:
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Ramirez helped students get college scholarships
By Carmina Danini San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 05/16/2003 12:00 AM
Emilie Carla Ramirez, 63, a high school counselor known for her tenacity in helping inner-city youths obtain college scholarships, died Tuesday of cancer.
Known by her middle name, Ramirez retired in May 2002 from Edison High School.
At Edison and at Lanier High School earlier, she worked with students to get them into college, said Josephine Russomano, a former principal at Lanier.
"Her focus was on getting as many scholarships as possible, particularly for students whose parents just could not afford to pay for a college education," Russomano said.
Some years, Ramirez worked with students from their freshman year until they graduated.
Though many students obtained funds for local colleges and universities, Ramirez helped others win scholarships from out-of-state institutions, including some Ivy League schools.
"She'd often say what a great feeling it was for her to hear years later from students she'd helped get into college," Russomano said.
Ramirez, born in San Antonio in 1939, was a descendant of Col. José Francisco Ruiz, one of only two native Texans among the 59 men who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836.
She graduated from Incarnate Word College and was part of the group of young, idealistic Americans who heeded President Kennedy's plea to serve their country. She joined the Peace Corps and served in Bolivia from 1966 to 1968.
A spokeswoman for the Peace Corps in Washington said it was not known which part of the country Ramirez served in or what her assignment was.
Vangie Butcher, a cousin, said Ramirez was a teacher in a Bolivian village.
"She always wanted to do something for humanity, and that was her way of helping others," Butcher said.
Ramirez returned from Bolivia and enrolled at St. Mary's University, where she earned a master's degree in guidance and counseling in 1970.
She later worked as a counselor at St. Mary's and with the Edgewood School District.
She was preceded in death by her father, Carlos A. Ramirez, and her mother, Amelia Patiño Ramirez.
Other survivors include cousins Marie Penaloza, Arthur Flores, Tony Patiño, Joe Cortez, Charles Ramirez, Carolyn Patiño, Yvonne Patiño and June Moore.
A Mass is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at St. Luke's Catholic Church at 4603 Manitou Drive, with interment at San Fernando Cemetery No. 2. Click on a link below for more stories on PCOL
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Obituaries; COS - Bolivia
