José Ramiro Ybarra

Born to beloved parents José S. & Herlinda Ybarra in Hondo, Texas, he lived a comfortable life. He helped his parents when he could, played with cousins when he could, and practiced his clarinet all the time.

In the solo U.I.L competition, he made the all-state band for three years. In the final year, he was first chair. He went to North Texas State for one year on a full-ride music scholarship, but he changed his mind about music and went into the Navy instead. There, he studied electronics for one year and served on a submarine for 3 more before leaving the Navy honorably in 1965. He worked at Kelly in electronics for two years, then quit to go to school full-time where he earned a Bachelor’s in Biology. He then worked at the V.A for six years before going to the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Hospital under Denton Cooley where he became certified as a perfusionist.

He returned to work at University Hospital in San Antonio for 23 years as head of the perfusionists.

He is survived by his loving wife, Teresa Ybarra; children, daughters Jessica Snow & Teresa Milliger, & son José R. Ybarra Jr.; grandchildren, Avery, Rhiannon, Sebastian, Nathanial Wilson, Noah Ybarra, Billy, Silas, May Soto, Jasmine & Xavier Milliger, Justin Snow, & Brittani Sarsok; and great-grandchildren, Madeline, Sophia, Samuel Sarsok, Malik & Remy Snow, and Yahira Gallegos.

José is preceded in passing by his dear parents José S. Ybarra and Herlinda Ybarra, along with his sisters, Minerva McKinnon & Lilita Alderete, and brother José A. Ybarra.

José will be remembered for his groundbreaking work in perfusion and as a man devoted to his family. He was a man of few words, but worth a thousand more.