Carlos Alberto Ramirez
Carl Ramirez, a lifelong resident of San Jose, died of natural causes on Wednesday, August 29th in
San Jose at 53 years-of-age. He was passionate about art, history, architecture and music. He had a
vast knowledge of those subjects which he was always eager to share. He possessed a keen
interest in current and civic affairs and was very informed about local, state and national politics.
He attended Toyon Elementary School, Piedmont Middle School and Piedmont Hills High School
where he was active in student leadership activities and served as editor-in-chief of the Legend, the
school newspaper. Carl majored in Journalism at San Jose State University and worked as an intern
at KNTV, Channel 11.
His interest in journalism provided him with opportunities to interview newsmakers and celebrities.
One of his proudest achievements was interviewing one of his all-time favorite singers, Janis Joplin,
at the height of her popularity. He also interviewed Liza Minelli, Cher, and many
other luminaries. Carl enjoyed the rock music scene in San Francisco in the late sixties and early
seventies, attending concerts of the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Jefferson
Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company and others. He owned an extensive collection of rock
art posters from legendary venues such as the Fillmore, and the now-defunct Avalon Ballroom and
Winterland.
Carlos served in the San Jose Model Cities program in the seventies, which encouraged citizen
participation on urban planning projects. He had a visionary approach to solving urban issues, and
recently noted that many of the projects he was involved in have come to fruition in the city of San
Jose, such as the Guadalupe River restoration and walkway.
He was very proud of his family and was always interested in news of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces
and nephews. He deeply appreciated their affection and concern. Carl was a religious person, with
great reverence for the rituals of the Catholic Church. He was also proud of his Mexican
heritage and enjoyed hearing of developments that would enrich the Hispanic community.
Carl leaves behind his devoted mother, Erma Ramirez and his loving siblings Sylvia Ramirez Riera,
David Ramirez and Len Ramirez. His father, Leonard C. Ramirez, deceased in 1999, was a longtime
community leader in Santa Clara County and a juvenile justice administrator. His brother-in-law
Arturo Riera and sisters-in-law Julie Ramirez and Denise Chamberjian provided him love and
comfort through his final days. Carl's nieces and nephews Michael, Daniel, Nicholas, Lauren, Lenny,
Amanda and Lucas will miss his thoughtfulness. He was very generous with gifts and cards on
special occasions.
The family would like to thank the staff of San Jose Regional Medical Center for the outstanding
treatment they provided Carlos. Special thanks to Vitas Hospice Care for their compassionate support
of Carl and our family in his final days.
Contributions in Carl's honor can be made to:
Portraits of Success Leonard Ramirez Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 640923
San Jose, CA 95164
To send an e-mail message to the family click here
Carl's Guest Book
Eulogy for my Brother
On behalf of our family, I’d like to thank all of you for being here today to remember Carl and support us at this difficult
time. We particularly want to recognize our family members who traveled from out-of-town…we appreciate the effort
required to be with us today.
Carl would be so proud that all of you attended this evening. Like all of us, his self-esteem was boosted by the
knowledge that he had such a great family and affectionate friends.
My brother was not easy to get to know but those who did were always impressed by his knowledge and sensitivity. In
these past few days I have been heartened to hear how many of you had your own special way of connecting with him. If
you had the opportunity to talk to him, he, without fail, showed an interest in your activities and family.
Carl did not have an easy life, as many of you know. Many things, like socializing, that are easy for most people were
challenging for him. But, in spite of that, he remained deeply touched by those who reached out to him by sending him a
card or sharing a kind word with him, or inquiring about his health.
Although his health was failing him for some time, he never spoke about it to any of us. Not even to our mother, Erma,
who was his number-one nurturer. Mom, you are an inspiration for your devotion and self-sacrifice. He never wanted to
burden us with his problems and only reluctantly accepted our offers of help.
As his condition declined my brothers and I attended to him in the hospital to the best we could. Even though this last
month has been the most difficult of my life, I believe the days we spent with him were a gift from above and from Carl.
We were all able to show him our love and he finally, and thankfully, allowed us into his most vulnerable time.
I’d like to thank all of our cousins and their spouses for being here. I especially want to acknowledge my aunts and
uncles for their love of Carl over the years: Emily, Greg, Dan, Romie, Helen, Ray, Joe, Debbie, Lydia, Frank, and Rita.
I’d also like to thank my tremendous sisters-in-law, Julie and Denise, for being such wonderful sisters to Carl through
his most trying time, as well as being caring daughters to my mother as she has needed more love and support each
day. And my brothers, David and Len, who have showed the utmost devotion to Carl through this difficult journey. My
husband Arturo, who supported me through this ordeal…thank you. You are my rock. And to my lovely daughter
Lauren...your uncle loved you. Your caring disposition has helped Grandma and me get through these tough times.
Carl now joins the embrace of those in the family who have gone before him: his grandparents Leonardo and Estefana
and Antonio and Lupe. His beloved godparents Seferino and Lupe, his uncles Ernest, Albert, Raymond, George and
Jesse; and his Aunt Tula and cousins Mark and Miranda. I find comfort knowing that he’ll be with all of them and our
father, Leonard, now and for all eternity.
But most of all, I’d like to thank Carl for being my brother and for teaching me what it truly means to be a family. I
thought I knew, but he has enlightened me at a level I never knew was possible. Gracias, hermano mio.
Sylvia Ramirez Riera-September 3, 2007
Eulogy for my Uncle
Dear Family and Friends,
I’m sorry I can’t be with you today as you memorialize my Tio Carlos. I attend Berklee College of Music in Boston and
unfortunately, I had to return to Boston and move out of my apartment and take lease of my new place.
I have always heard from my family how my Tio Carlos and I were alike in many ways. We had similar taste in clothing,
in fact he gave me many of his shirts that I wear today. He had quite a collection of clothes from the “mod” era in the late
sixties and the “disco” era of the seventies which I thought were cool and influenced my interest in retro styles.
We both had an interest in history and ancient cultures. I remember as a child, my Tio Carlos dusting off old books from
his room to show me illustrations of ancient Aztec cities. We both were fascinated by the ancient Egyptians and he knew
so much about their history and culture. He was very informative about Greek and Roman mythology and loved
explaining what the classical myths were all about.
Tio Carlos was also a talented visual artist. I remember discovering paintings of Indian deities with supernumerary
arms he had done. One was done in fluorescent paint, meant to be appreciated under a black light. He gave me insight
into the music and youth scene of the sixties and seventies..
Because I am a musician he knew I would appreciate some of his classic rock memorabilia. In recent years he gave me
a stack of posters, many of them collector’s items, from the psychedelic era. I will always cherish them. He was always
so generous with me and my sister Lauren, and all my younger cousins. He would give us gifts, cards and photos of us
together, so we would always remember him.
I will miss my Tio Carlos very much, but I will always remember all the good times we had.
Daniel Riera - September, 2007
Carl's family would like to thank all who attended the vigil on September 3rd and funeral services and burial on
September 4th. Eulogies were presented by Sylvia Ramirez, sister; Len Ramirez, brother; Julie Ramiez, sister-in-
law; Amanda Ramirez, niece; Daniel Riera, nephew (by letter, read by Arturo Riera); and Vicky Perez, cousin.
Special thanks to Denise Chamberjian and Julie Ramirez for the framed, beautiful photo montages. The video was
produced and edited by Len Ramirez.
San Jose at 53 years-of-age. He was passionate about art, history, architecture and music. He had a
vast knowledge of those subjects which he was always eager to share. He possessed a keen
interest in current and civic affairs and was very informed about local, state and national politics.
He attended Toyon Elementary School, Piedmont Middle School and Piedmont Hills High School
where he was active in student leadership activities and served as editor-in-chief of the Legend, the
school newspaper. Carl majored in Journalism at San Jose State University and worked as an intern
at KNTV, Channel 11.
His interest in journalism provided him with opportunities to interview newsmakers and celebrities.
One of his proudest achievements was interviewing one of his all-time favorite singers, Janis Joplin,
at the height of her popularity. He also interviewed Liza Minelli, Cher, and many
other luminaries. Carl enjoyed the rock music scene in San Francisco in the late sixties and early
seventies, attending concerts of the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Jefferson
Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company and others. He owned an extensive collection of rock
art posters from legendary venues such as the Fillmore, and the now-defunct Avalon Ballroom and
Winterland.
Carlos served in the San Jose Model Cities program in the seventies, which encouraged citizen
participation on urban planning projects. He had a visionary approach to solving urban issues, and
recently noted that many of the projects he was involved in have come to fruition in the city of San
Jose, such as the Guadalupe River restoration and walkway.
He was very proud of his family and was always interested in news of cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces
and nephews. He deeply appreciated their affection and concern. Carl was a religious person, with
great reverence for the rituals of the Catholic Church. He was also proud of his Mexican
heritage and enjoyed hearing of developments that would enrich the Hispanic community.
Carl leaves behind his devoted mother, Erma Ramirez and his loving siblings Sylvia Ramirez Riera,
David Ramirez and Len Ramirez. His father, Leonard C. Ramirez, deceased in 1999, was a longtime
community leader in Santa Clara County and a juvenile justice administrator. His brother-in-law
Arturo Riera and sisters-in-law Julie Ramirez and Denise Chamberjian provided him love and
comfort through his final days. Carl's nieces and nephews Michael, Daniel, Nicholas, Lauren, Lenny,
Amanda and Lucas will miss his thoughtfulness. He was very generous with gifts and cards on
special occasions.
The family would like to thank the staff of San Jose Regional Medical Center for the outstanding
treatment they provided Carlos. Special thanks to Vitas Hospice Care for their compassionate support
of Carl and our family in his final days.
Contributions in Carl's honor can be made to:
Portraits of Success Leonard Ramirez Scholarship Fund
P.O. Box 640923
San Jose, CA 95164
To send an e-mail message to the family click here
Carl's Guest Book
Eulogy for my Brother
On behalf of our family, I’d like to thank all of you for being here today to remember Carl and support us at this difficult
time. We particularly want to recognize our family members who traveled from out-of-town…we appreciate the effort
required to be with us today.
Carl would be so proud that all of you attended this evening. Like all of us, his self-esteem was boosted by the
knowledge that he had such a great family and affectionate friends.
My brother was not easy to get to know but those who did were always impressed by his knowledge and sensitivity. In
these past few days I have been heartened to hear how many of you had your own special way of connecting with him. If
you had the opportunity to talk to him, he, without fail, showed an interest in your activities and family.
Carl did not have an easy life, as many of you know. Many things, like socializing, that are easy for most people were
challenging for him. But, in spite of that, he remained deeply touched by those who reached out to him by sending him a
card or sharing a kind word with him, or inquiring about his health.
Although his health was failing him for some time, he never spoke about it to any of us. Not even to our mother, Erma,
who was his number-one nurturer. Mom, you are an inspiration for your devotion and self-sacrifice. He never wanted to
burden us with his problems and only reluctantly accepted our offers of help.
As his condition declined my brothers and I attended to him in the hospital to the best we could. Even though this last
month has been the most difficult of my life, I believe the days we spent with him were a gift from above and from Carl.
We were all able to show him our love and he finally, and thankfully, allowed us into his most vulnerable time.
I’d like to thank all of our cousins and their spouses for being here. I especially want to acknowledge my aunts and
uncles for their love of Carl over the years: Emily, Greg, Dan, Romie, Helen, Ray, Joe, Debbie, Lydia, Frank, and Rita.
I’d also like to thank my tremendous sisters-in-law, Julie and Denise, for being such wonderful sisters to Carl through
his most trying time, as well as being caring daughters to my mother as she has needed more love and support each
day. And my brothers, David and Len, who have showed the utmost devotion to Carl through this difficult journey. My
husband Arturo, who supported me through this ordeal…thank you. You are my rock. And to my lovely daughter
Lauren...your uncle loved you. Your caring disposition has helped Grandma and me get through these tough times.
Carl now joins the embrace of those in the family who have gone before him: his grandparents Leonardo and Estefana
and Antonio and Lupe. His beloved godparents Seferino and Lupe, his uncles Ernest, Albert, Raymond, George and
Jesse; and his Aunt Tula and cousins Mark and Miranda. I find comfort knowing that he’ll be with all of them and our
father, Leonard, now and for all eternity.
But most of all, I’d like to thank Carl for being my brother and for teaching me what it truly means to be a family. I
thought I knew, but he has enlightened me at a level I never knew was possible. Gracias, hermano mio.
Sylvia Ramirez Riera-September 3, 2007
Eulogy for my Uncle
Dear Family and Friends,
I’m sorry I can’t be with you today as you memorialize my Tio Carlos. I attend Berklee College of Music in Boston and
unfortunately, I had to return to Boston and move out of my apartment and take lease of my new place.
I have always heard from my family how my Tio Carlos and I were alike in many ways. We had similar taste in clothing,
in fact he gave me many of his shirts that I wear today. He had quite a collection of clothes from the “mod” era in the late
sixties and the “disco” era of the seventies which I thought were cool and influenced my interest in retro styles.
We both had an interest in history and ancient cultures. I remember as a child, my Tio Carlos dusting off old books from
his room to show me illustrations of ancient Aztec cities. We both were fascinated by the ancient Egyptians and he knew
so much about their history and culture. He was very informative about Greek and Roman mythology and loved
explaining what the classical myths were all about.
Tio Carlos was also a talented visual artist. I remember discovering paintings of Indian deities with supernumerary
arms he had done. One was done in fluorescent paint, meant to be appreciated under a black light. He gave me insight
into the music and youth scene of the sixties and seventies..
Because I am a musician he knew I would appreciate some of his classic rock memorabilia. In recent years he gave me
a stack of posters, many of them collector’s items, from the psychedelic era. I will always cherish them. He was always
so generous with me and my sister Lauren, and all my younger cousins. He would give us gifts, cards and photos of us
together, so we would always remember him.
I will miss my Tio Carlos very much, but I will always remember all the good times we had.
Daniel Riera - September, 2007
Carl's family would like to thank all who attended the vigil on September 3rd and funeral services and burial on
September 4th. Eulogies were presented by Sylvia Ramirez, sister; Len Ramirez, brother; Julie Ramiez, sister-in-
law; Amanda Ramirez, niece; Daniel Riera, nephew (by letter, read by Arturo Riera); and Vicky Perez, cousin.
Special thanks to Denise Chamberjian and Julie Ramirez for the framed, beautiful photo montages. The video was
produced and edited by Len Ramirez.
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Carlos A. Ramirez
| Blah Blah BLah |
September 16, 1953-August 29, 2007