Raymond Carrasco

1937-2023

Ray Carrasco, 88, passed away on June 21, 2023. He is survived by his loving wife of 66 years, Tencha, his sons, Ray Ted, Stephen, and his daughter Cathy Carrasco Ames. He had five grandchildren, Zoe Gaetano, Jenna Ames, Sam Ames, Alex Carrasco, and Joshua Carrasco. His family meant everything to him. He always said that anybody with the last name Carrasco was related to him, and as such, he had many loving relatives in El Paso and Sacramento, California.

He was born and raised in Ysleta, Texas, in 1935 to Ramon and Manuela Carrasco, along with three brothers, Robert, Henry, and Richard, and his sister, Martha. He graduated from Ysleta High, then Texas Western College (now UTEP). He went on to serve in the Army, where he served two years in Germany with his newlywed wife. They moved from El Paso, Texas, to Sacramento, California, where he received a B.S. degree in Business Management from Sacramento State College (now California State University, Sacramento).

Ray was very active in the Latino community, beginning his career with the Sacramento Concilio, the first Latino community-based organization in Sacramento. He was the president of MAPA (Mexican American Political Association) during the civil rights era of the 1960’s. His activism in the Latino community would be a motivating factor throughout his professional career. He moved on to the Sacramento Redevelopment Agency, where he emphasized the need for an inclusive agenda for Latinos and other minority communities. His hard work ethic and effectiveness resulted in his appointment by the Nixon Administration under George Romney as the Director of the western regional office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Los Angeles. His jurisdiction included the HUD/FHA Office for Southern California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, including all matters dealing with indigenous communities. His commitment to the housing needs of vulnerable communities never ceased to be a significant focus of his work.

As a youth, he had a job raising English Bulldogs, which gave him a lifelong love of the breed. He loved to tell stories of his many experiences throughout his career, including his love for Cyprus. He was a great dancer and kept this passion throughout his life. He would dance with anybody, anywhere, so much so that he learned to Tango with lessons while in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He danced with his wife any chance he could get and specialized in the Paso Dobles with a grace that only masters could show. He encouraged anybody with positive thoughts and phrases. He had a favorite saying from the poet Virgil “They can because they think they can.” And he did.

His big dream was to put together a local foundation for low-income children and families of all types to receive education, jobs, and housing via funds that he received from international businesses in Europe. During the past 25 years, he devoted his life to his family and a big dream.