Gilbert (Gil) Ramirez
Gilbert Ramirez unexpectedly passed away from a cardiac arrest June 22 in the early morning hours at Gaviota Beach as he was preparing with best friend Eric Duncan to go kayak fishing, his favorite pastime.
Gil, as he was known to many, was the fourth of six children born to Maria and Agustin Ramirez. Both parents by example instilled in all their children the importance of family, kindness, patience, hard work, respect and love. Gilbert especially had a warm, friendly and loving spirit and the best sense of humor. He made friends easily and was always ready to reach out to others when they needed help. He was a lifelong Santa Barbaran who expertly learned the craft of upholstery from a brother-in-law and his work was sought out and valued by many.
As life would have it, he had a personal setback many years ago and began a journey of sobriety he maintained for the rest of his life. He found a lot of friends and support at New House and in short order found his footing. Management there found his personality and willingness to help others by guiding and encouraging them to be an asset. He wound up joining New House as a manager. Through his 11 ½ years there, he helped shepherd thousands of men to their own success. He was always willing to share his own story so others could relate and find the will to also do the hard work of healing.
Most importantly Gilbert was a loving family man. He met his wife Pam Robinson Ramirez and they married in 1990. They had two lovely daughters who were the lights of his eyes, as well two grandchildren, Aiden and Jackson (13 and 3 years old) who he doted on. He regaled everyone with jokes. He was always ready to put on the Santa Claus, Barney or other costumes to entertain his kids, nephews and nieces.
Gilbert’s passing leaves a huge hole in all our hearts. Besides his wife, daughters and their partners, Christina (Casey Morehart) and Nicole Coughlan (Jamie Coughlan), and grandkids, he leaves his siblings Dolores, Cecilia, Agustin, Ernie (Glenda) and Gonzalo (Catherine) as well as many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his “Granimals” Winnie the Corgi and Remi the cat. We take comfort knowing that though he left us suddenly, we imagine him in Heaven fishing in that ocean he loved so much and catching some really big fish.
A celebration of life will be held on Sunday August 4 at11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Shoreline Park, (Shoreline Dr. and Santa Rosa Pl. Santa Barbara CA. 93109.