David Edward Ramos

David Edward Ramos entered into his heavenly home on Saturday, January 2, 2021; he was 91 years old. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather. After all the obstacles he faced during his long and prosperous life, it was the coronavirus that he was unable to overcome, but he was comforted by the strength and peace of his beloved wife of 64 years, Helen.  

David was born on August 13, 1929 in Los Angeles, California.  His parents were William and Irene (Viescas) Ramos who had ten children, with David being the third eldest.  They were raised in Southern California.  David attended high school at Franklin in Los Angeles before graduating from Sweetwater Union in National City in 1947.  After working a few years during the post-WWII era in the manufacturing of parts for aircraft and ships, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy on March 14, 1951.  He served during the Korean War in an administrative role as the ship’s Legal Yeoman aboard the USS Paricutin (AE-18), an ammunition supply ship.  In his four-year enlistment, David was promoted five times achieving the rating of Yeoman First Class and was honorably discharged on March 2, 1955.

Within weeks following his service in the Navy, David began a career at Ford Motor Company in Pico Rivera where he continued working for the next 25 years until he received an early retirement with the closing of the plant.  He was a Supervisor in the Traffic Department and was responsible for expediting finished automobiles to dealers across the western United States.

Also following his military service in 1955, David’s cousins introduced him to their beautiful neighbor, Helen, of German nationality who immigrated from Austria to the United States just three years earlier.  It was love at first site and they were married a year later on December 29, 1956, and the pair stood faithfully at each other’s side for the next 64 years.  They were blessed with six children, and in 1970, they moved into their dream home in Placentia, a town they would call home for the next 50 years.  David and Helen both obtained their real estate agent’s and broker’s licenses, and while Helen enjoyed a successful career in residential home sales, David focused his efforts on ownership and management of investment properties. 

Large family gatherings were a hallmark tradition of David’s life.  He enjoyed spending time at their vacation homes, especially in Big Bear Lake, where the entire immediate and extended family would often come together to join in fun mountain activities or just to spend time with each other.  He and Helen affectionately named their cabin retreat, “Unser Blauer Himmel,” which in German means “Our Blue Heaven.”

While education was extremely important to David, the practical aspects of juggling his career, family, and property management made it very difficult for him to pursue a bachelor’s degree.  Notwithstanding these challenges, he persevered by taking courses at night which took him approximately 30 years before he finally earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Redlands in 1978.  Because of this, he was personally and financially supportive of his children and grandchildren who chose to further their education to ensure they had the opportunity to earn their degrees in a more efficient manner than his own.

David was an active member of the community of Placentia.  He was a 50-year parishioner of St. Joseph Catholic Church, a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, served on the Planning Commission for the City of Placentia, participated in Placentia’s Annual Heritage Day Parade and Events, and was a passionate sports fan and an avid supporter of local athletics.  In spite of his busy calendar, he somehow always found time to attend all his children’s and grandchildren’s athletic and extracurricular events. 

David had a particular fondness for El Dorado High School.  Between his children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren, there are 12 members of the Ramos Family who are graduates of El Dorado.  In 1999, he donated a beautiful large “Victory Bell” with a hand-crafted cradle and wagon that he designed to honor the passing of his grandson, Quinn, and to award it to the winner of the annual Pride of Placentia Football Game between the two rival high schools of El Dorado and Valencia.  His Victory Bell not only brought such great joy to himself, but also to the countless students and families over the years who rallied around the boundless school spirit which it provided.  In 2018, David was honored to be inducted into El Dorado’s Hall of Fame, in recognition for his extraordinary contributions as booster, volunteer, team photographer, donor, and an all-around supporter of the school spanning five decades.

He is survived by his beloved wife – Helen, their six children – David, Veronica, Shirley, Paul, Jeanette, and Robert, his five sisters – Carmen, Margaret, Darlene, Elizabeth, and Berenice, his grandchildren – Christopher, Natalee, Janelle, Austin, Ciera, Alexis, Haley, Chandler, Katie, Katlyn, Trae, and Paullee, and his eight great-grandchildren – Dallin, Austin, Emma, Sofia, Braydon, Jaxon, Ava, and Charlee.