R. Miguel Ramirez's Obituary
R. Miguel Ramirez
aka Ray Grandy
Age 62 years
Born March 6, 1958 in Sacramento, CA
Miguel entered into eternal rest on September 1, 2020, after suffering a stroke at his home in Sacramento.
He is survived by his sister, Leana Grandy of Sacramento. He was preceded in death by his mother, Bertha Ramirez Grandy, his brother Cecil, and his grandparents, Miguel and Bernardina Hidalgo.
Miguel lived in England for a few of his earliest years, however, most of his life was spent in Sacramento which he proudly called home. He graduated from Highlands High School in 1976 where he made many lifelong friends. He played football for the league champion Scots and also lettered in wrestling. Miguel attended American River College locally, then transferred to the University of Southern California. His studies at USC were interrupted by the untimely death of his mother in 1980. He did not hesitate to come back home to care for his younger brother Cecil who was just beginning high school. When Cecil enlisted in the US Navy, Miguel was able to return to USC to resume his studies where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Business Economics. Tragically Cecil died in a motorcycle accident in 1989, Determined to become learned, Miguel attended graduate school at Stanford University where he concurrently earned two Masters degrees in 1992: an MBA with an additional Certificate in Public Management and Social Innovation, and an MA in Education Administration and Policy Analysis. He started his early working career in the banking industry, later transitioning to cellular telephone communications. Due to his professionalism and expertise, he was a selected to be a key member of the expert teams that were relocated overseas to start new cellular companies in both Belgium and Egypt for AirTouch / Vodafone. Upon returning to the US, he served as CFO for many local area non-profit organizations including Sacramento Self Help Housing. Miguel volunteered as a Board member of two prestigious organizations that represented issues about which he cared deeply: Habitat for Humanity Sacramento, and the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law of USC’s School of Law. In addition, Miguel also recently founded his own nonprofit, the Tecolote Foundation, which was designed to bring affordable housing and community redevelopment to disadvantaged neighborhoods in Sacramento. Miguel used his business acumen to create for Tecolote an innovation in charitable giving which provides the giver with a competitive return on their investment, not just the usual tax deduction.
Miguel was highly regarded at work for his high standards and principles, his reliability, his humor even in stressful times, and his kindness and genuine caring for his teams and co-workers. He was always loyal to his friends and could be counted on for a kind word, a tall tale, a good joke, and selfless acts of kindness, Miguel enjoyed playing softball and still dreamed of playing second base for the Oakland A’s. His infectious laugh and good humor will be missed by all.
An outdoors visitation with family and friends will be held Tuesday, September 15, from 4 PM-7 PM at Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes, 4701 Marysville Blvd, Sacramento. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will begin at 5 PM.
Graveside burial will be held at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, September 16, also at Sunset Lawn.
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