Ramon Ledesma (1921-2014)

Irene's dad passed away at age 92 on September 11th. We thank Peace Corps for their support during this time - Irene was able to go home to California to be with her dad during his last week; I joined her later for the funeral (I was honoured to be one of the pall bearers) and to connect with family including Irene's 2 sons and their wives.

Ramon Ledesma raised 6 children and was a devoted husband to Lola; he worked for only one employer for 32 years after he was discharged from the Army after WWII - the Santa Fe Railroad . He could build anything - most of his small house was built by his own hand and 'by eye' without written plans. One of his joys was his relationship with his dogs (his "wow wows") - you'll see them in the video too.

We've been back in Adelphi for about a week ... both of us are teaching Literacy Pull-Out sessions. Our friends, neighbours and colleagues here have been so warm and supportive during this time - it's good to be HOME!

A close friend of Irene's family created this photo montage for the funeral - most of the pictures came from the family over his lifetime.

Ramon Ledesma - 1921- 2014  (...or click on link)

 

 

We'll get back to posting about our Peace Corps experiences soon. Thank you to all our friends who continue to watch our blog and for sending us your comments. STEVE and IRENE