Cecilia M. Ramirez

Cecilia was born in Del Rio, Texas, on September 18, 1949 to Enrique G. Martinez and Francisca Martinez. She was a proud member of the San Felipe High School Class of 1970. She worked as a licensed vocational nurse and special education teacher’s assistant in the Hays CISD.

On Aug. 18, 1973, she married Ruben Armando Ramirez, and they had four amazing children— Ruben, Rene, Cynthia and Melinda.

After her husband passed away unexpectedly in 1998, she raised them as a single mother. A champion of higher education, she encouraged her children to pursue their educational and professional pursuits beyond Central Texas.

As her children traveled the country for school and work and made new friends along the way, she became a mother figure to them, as they often attended family gatherings and vacationed together in the U.S. and abroad. She was always up for an adventure, a spirit that took her as far as Ireland, Italy, France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.

Cecilia enjoyed cross-stitching, sewing, and gathering and planning the annual reunions for the San Felipe Exes. In recent years, she loved watching her family grow, as her children married and her youngest son welcomed his first child. She doted on her granddaughter Eleanor “Ellie” and was looking forward to the arrival of her first grandson, Louis, in July.

She was known for her love of music, her homemade aprons and tea towels, and cooking, especially her often-requested tortillas, enchiladas, and menudo.

Cecilia was preceded in death by her parents; husband, brother Enrique “Rick” Martinez; and sister Maria Guadalupe “Lupe” Burch. She is survived by her children, Ruben and husband Felix Sheridan of New York/Ireland, Rene and wife Lindsey of Austin, Cynthia and husband Sean McConnell of New York/Austin, and Melinda of Austin; and her beautiful granddaughter Ellie and soon-to-born grandson Louis; her sister Ernestina “Tina” Martinez and husband Jose, and best friend since childhood Cricelda Crowder of Del Rio; and numerous sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, nieces, and nephews.

Services will be held in Austin and Del Rio. A viewing will be held on Friday, June 29, 2018 from 4-8 p.m. with mariachis from 6-7 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m. at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home, 6300 William Cannon Drive in Austin. Additional viewing hours will be held on Saturday, June 30, from 10 a.m. to noon at Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home. On Sunday, July 1, 2018 a viewing from 2-9 p.m. with mariachis and Recitation of Holy Rosary at 7:00 p.m., will take place at Sunset Funeral Home in Del Rio. A mass will be held at St. Joseph Church, on Monday, July 2, at 10 a.m. followed by internment at San Felipe Cemetery next to her husband.

Donations if desired should be made to the Cecilia M. Ramirez Memorial Page to support the Trevor Project. Please visit https://give.thetrevorproject.org/ceciliamramirez to make a donation.