Leukemia on Sept. 1, 2018 at the West Georgia Hospice Center. He was born in Grosse Pointe,
MI on July 8, 1938. A Vietnam veteran, Ian graduated from Penn State in finance in 1961 before
joining the USN. While at Penn State, he was a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. He
participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, earning several distinguished
medals including the Bronze Star Combat V, Navy Commendation Combat V, and Achievement
Medals. He finished his career heading the Training Instructor School at Keesler AFB, MS. After
23 years of military service, he joined Electronic Data Systems (EDS) retiring as a Senior
Business Analyst in Plano, TX.
After making his home in LaGrange, GA, he married Pamela Louise Smrekar on June 7,
2004. While in LaGrange, he served as a board member of the West Point Lake Coalition
where he participated in many poker runs for lake improvement and cleanups. He also held
offices and was on the board of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). The
Naval Career Officer was at home on both the water and the greens. As an avid golfer, Ian was
always striving for the elusive hole-in-one. Although not in golf, Ian achieved his hole-in-one
when he officially joined the Catholic Church on August, 7, 2018. He attended St. Peter’s
Catholic Church.
Ian was preceded in death by his parents William Warburton Ramsay and Annie Murray
Cunningham Ramsay, both originally from Scotland, and his first wife, Joan Douthitt Ramsay.
He is survived by his wife Pamela Louise Ramsay, LaGrange; daughter, Anne Kathleen Rowe
(Mike), Buford, GA; son, Scott Ian Ramsay, St. Petersburg, FL; sisters: Sheila Buckert, St. Clair
Shores, MI and Lorna Ramsay, Wyomissing, PA; step-children: Allison (Nick) Dubovsky, Ewa
Beach, HI; Ruth Anne (David) Tomlinson, Jackson, WY; and Jacob (Dawn) Smrekar, Rock Hill,
SC; grandchildren: Joshua Schaefers, Taylor Rowe, Megan Rowe, Stephen Rowe, Michael
Rowe, Christian Smrekar, Victoria Smrekar, and Katelyn Tomlinson; and several nieces and
nephews.
Ian’s family would like to thank his church, golf, and military families, as well as, his
many friends who have helped on his journey home. Funeral services will be held at St. Peter’s
Catholic Church on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. Visitation will be at the church at 10:00
AM with a funeral mass to follow at 11:00 AM. A graveside service will immediately follow.
Those wishing to donate can contribute to St. Peter’s Catholic Church or the Acute
Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Society in memory of Ian.
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