Obituaries
Video: Community Unites for Anthony "Cookie" Ramirez
Friends, family and community members gathered to pay respects to Anthony "Cookie" Ramirez, one of two Decoto men recently slain in the neighborhood, during a vigil Friday night.
After shook the Decoto neighborhood, friends, family and community members gathered to pay tribute to , who was shot and killed May 14.
Ramirez, 34, was a lifelong Decoto resident with a family deeply rooted in the community. His family has lived in the area since the 1940s when Eli Ramirez I and wife Juanita settled after WWII, according to relatives.
Almost 200 people showed up to honor Ramirez Friday night, marching from his home near Railroad Avenue and E Street to the 33600 block of Eighth Street, where he exhaled his last breath. Many wore t-shirts with photos of Ramirez, placing flowers on a small memorial in the middle of the street.
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Father Jose Leon of said a brief prayer before the Ollin Anahuac Aztec Dance Group added color to the somber affair. The dancers performed a blessing ceremony for Ramirez. Maricela Reynoso, leader of the dance group, said the ceremony helps the community heal.
The City of Union City's Youth and Family Services employees, who work closely with community members, also came out to show their support.
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"I'm really grateful that a lot of the community is coming together to stand against violence and make a stand in honor of these people that have passed on," said John Cabrera, the lead outreach worker with Youth and Family Services.
Though grieving for his baby brother, Eli Ramirez III took the time to thank those in attendance.
"This community is tight and everybody is here for each other," he said. "We just want justice done."
Trust fund for "Cookie"
Ramirez was a self-employed handyman without life insurance. Relatives have established The Anthony F. Ramirez Memorial Trust Fund at the (33301 Alvardo-Niles Rd. in Union City) to help the family with funeral expenses. The trustees are his parents, Eli Ramirez, Jr. and Rosemary Ramirez. Anyone who would like to contribute should contact the bank.
