Anthony Pescina Ramirez

December 31, 1948 – July 6, 2025

Anthony (Tony) Pescina Ramirez went to his rock-and-roll heaven on Sunday, July 6th, 2025. Born on December 31, 1948, in San Marcos, Texas, Tony lived a vivid and unique life, leaving a legacy of honorably serving his country, greatly contributing to the Rio Grande Valley community, and unconditionally cherishing his family and friends.

Tony dedicated nearly forty years to education at both public schools and colleges/universities. He launched his teaching career at Gay Junior High in Harlingen as a science teacher, holding a major in English and a minor in biology. He later taught at Los Fresnos and La Villa ISDs.

In 1978, at the age of 32, he took a break from teaching and enlisted in the United States Army. He completed basic training at Fort Leonard Wood and Advanced Individual Training (AIT) at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he specialized in mortars. After completing advanced infantry training, he was stationed at Fort Clayton, Panama, serving for 3½ years. He was promoted to corporal within two years and was honorably discharged as a sergeant from Fort Lewis, Washington, in 1982.

While in Panama, Tony served as the Recreational NCO, where he developed the Gridiron Gazette, reporting on intramural football games. He received the Good Conduct Medal for his service and was qualified in 60mm, 81mm, and 4.2-inch mortars. He also proudly earned a spot on the Battalion Cross Country Team—placing sixth among over 200 applicants with a five-mile time of 30 minutes flat.

After his military service, Tony was hired by Texas A&I University in Kingsville to work in the Continuing Education Department. He later joined South Texas Community College (STCC) (now known as South Texas College) as the Education Coordinator, where he was tasked with developing a new Education Department in partnership with Pan American University. He wrote the syllabi, created a degree plan, and launched the program with 15 majors in 1995 — growing it into a department serving over 1,000 students. He introduced cornerstone courses such as Introduction to Education and Special Populations and was instrumental in hiring faculty.

As Chair of the Education Department at STCC, Tony also served as the senior advisor for Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, founding the Beta Epsilon Mu chapter, and established the Education Club. He re-established the Honors Program and proudly graduated the program’s first cohort of scholars.

Later, at the University of Texas–Brownsville, he founded Borders Review, a creative journal for faculty. He also served as the Writing Supervisor and, at one point, as the Interim Director of the Learning Assistance Center. Tony taught a range of courses including Composition I and II, English Literature I and II, World Literature I, and developmental English.

After Tony retired from South Texas College, he turned his love for music and his hobby of collecting albums, etc. into a full-fledged business. He opened Frank’s Collection Record Shop in 2012 in the back of the established Antique & Artisans Emporium, which he and his wife June launched in 1991. The record shop became a popular and acclaimed spot for the growing vinyl community, and Tony thoroughly enjoyed meeting and socializing with its many patrons.

Among his many accomplishments, Tony was most proud of his military service, his contributions to collegiate education, and, above all, the deep love he had for his family.

He is survived by his beloved wife, June, and three daughters: Dr. Kassandra Angela Ramirez Buck (with son-in-law Thomas Henry Buck), Shannon Soledad Ramirez, and Carol Lee Molsbee; as well as his nephews and their families — Frank and his husband Rolando; Jeremiah and his wife Martha and their sons Senior Airman Nehemiah, and Malachi; Christian Anthony and his wife Amy, their children Emma, Ava, and Christian, and their grandchild Anais; niece Angeleen and her husband Dalton and their daughter Aydabelle; and nephews Aaron and Thomas Joseph.

In honor of Tony’s contribution to education in the Rio Grande Valley, the family kindly requests that donations be made to The Anthony P. Ramirez Emerging Leaders Scholarship. This scholarship honors his legacy as an educator by supporting Phi Theta Kappa – Beta Epsilon Mu students at South Texas College.