Francisca Carlota Ramos

Francisca “Fran” Carlota Ramos entered into Heaven on July 21, 2020. Fran was born into Life on August 21, 1958 in Kansas City MO. At the age of six months, Catholic Charities Diocese, Kansas City-St. Joseph Missouri placed her in the loving arms of her adoptive parents, Dr. John F. Ramos Jr., and his wife, Thera Doll Ramos. Fran, her brother, John III, and her parents lived in Kansas City until her father’s death in 1970, after which, her mother, Fran, and John III moved to Highland Park, IL.

Fran graduated from Highland Park High School in 1976, and went to the University of Kansas, Lawrence (“Rock-Chalk, Jayhawk: K U!”), where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education (1980) and a Master of Science Degree in Special Education (1981).

After graduation, Fran retuned to Highland Park where she continued to work at K-Mart (started there in high school) and taught at Oak Terrace Elementary School in Highwood, IL.

Realizing the road of teaching was not what she wanted to do, Fran decided to work for the Federal Government. She started at Fort Sheridan IL (U.S. Army) in 1984, where she worked in the procurement field. After Fort Sheridan closed, she went to work for the Office of Naval Research (U.S. Navy), Chicago IL, where she worked as a contract specialist and a grants specialist. In 1998, Fran started working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Chicago Regional Office, as a grants management specialist. During her tenure, Fran performed her work in such an excellent manner that she earned various awards. In 2012, Fran earned an Assistance Management Award and in 2016, a Bronze Medal for Commendable Service. Fran was also an active member of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 704 and received a certificate for being a twenty-year member of Local 704. After over thirty-five years of federal service, Fran retired on March 31, 2020.

Fran loved President Obama. Her EPA teammates knew this when they walked past her workstation, which was a shrine to President Obama. They knew August 4th was his birthday because Fran would bring to work homemade jerk chicken (best in the world), ice cream cake, and President Obama mementos for all to enjoy. Her feelings about No. 45 were the total opposite. Fran would fulminate daily about his incompetence and superciliousness, cringe and say something underneath her breath every time she saw a MAGA hat, bumper sticker, etc. Fran said she will be the first person in line at her polling station on Election Day to officially voice her feelings.

Fran’s mother was her best friend. They lived together, traveled together, laughed together, cried together, until her mother was born into Eternal Life on March 23, 2010.

After her mother’s passing, Fran decided to start the journey of finding her birth mother. Fran’s journey ended learning her birth name is Debbie Annette Rodriquez, finding her sisters Roxanne and Robin (“Rodriguez by Blood – Ramos by Love”), along with nephews Lucas and Dustin, nieces Jyssica and Amy, great nephews, nieces, and cousins. Fran found other family members through Ancestry.com.

Fran loved reading, traveling, watching Columbo every Sunday at 7:00pm, painting, arts and crafts, volunteering (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Home of the Sparrow), cheering on her Jayhawks (“Rock Chalk Jayhawk: K U!”), bragging about Shaena and “The Twins” (Xanah and Xarah), having pen-pals nationwide, giving her time and resources to Rehoboth COGIC – Waukegan, IL, and being there for her families and friends.

Fran overcame many impediments to become a caring, loving, smart, sensitive, and thoughtful person. One impediment she was unable to overcome was Esophageal Cancer, and departed this earthly life on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

Fran is loved and survived by her brother, John III, Chicago IL, her sisters Roxanne Cunningham, Kansas City, MO, and Robin Madrigal, Phoenix, AZ, her “father”, C. Wallis Henning, Lawrence, KS, goddaughters Shaena Wright, North Chicago, IL, Xanah Sproul and Xarah Sproul, Yulee, FL, and Dezi Tilmon, Waukegan, IL, ex-husband, Donovan Sproul, and his sons Tristan and D’Mitry, Gurnee, IL, good friends Heidi Kessler and Janet Storbeck, and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.

Fran was preceded in death by parents, her aunt, Imogene Gray, good friend, Robin Castellucci, family members, friends, and others who had the honor and pleasure of knowing Fran.

Visitation will be held on July 31, 2020 at 11:00 am at Marsh Funeral Home, 305 N Cemetery Rd, Gurnee, IL. Funeral Mass will be held on July 31, 2020 at 1:00 pm at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 6401 Gages Lake Rd., Gurnee, IL. Graveside Service will be held on July 31, 2020 at Ascension Cemetery, 1920 Buckley Rd., Libertyville, IL.

Funeral Mass will be streamed via YouTube (saint paul the apostle catholic church in gurnee) or www.saintpaultheapostle.church

In lieu of flowers, please make a contribution to either "Catholic Charities Adoption Services" Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph, 301 East Armour Blvd, Suite 620, Kansas City, MO 64111 or Hospice of Dayton Foundation, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH 45420