Ester Gloria Ramos' Obituary
Ester Gloria Ramos
June 3, 1946 – July 4, 2020
“What we once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose,
for all that we love deeply becomes part of us.”
Ester was born in Pongto in Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The second-eldest daughter of Eugenio and Sebastiana Macadangdang, she enjoyed a simple but idyllic early childhood in the country. In April 1954, at age 7, she boarded a large ship with her mother and sister Clarita, to join their father in Hawaii. She attended Fern and Dole Schools in Kalihi, and Farrington High School. At Farrington, she was a strong student and was involved in many campus clubs. Following her dream to become a nurse, she enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It was there that she met her future husband, Angel.
After marrying in 1968, Angel and Ester relocated to Port Angeles, Washington, along with their newborn daughter Leina. They then moved to California, where their son Marc was born. They raised their family in Huntington Beach, where Ester built her career as a nurse and entrepreneur. Through her work, she touched countless lives: she founded Goldenwest Home Health Agency in Huntington Beach, and after moving back to Hawaii in 1993, she directed Hospice of Kona, and later founded both Aiea Heights Rest Home and Safe Harbor Homecare on Oahu.
Despite living across the ocean from her children and grandchildren, she managed to be a strong presence in their lives. Her devotion and generosity knew no bounds. She loved her grandsons - Mitchell, Sam and Will - with all her heart.
Ester enjoyed family gatherings, travel, and hearing stories about her grandsons. She was intelligent, insightful, and never afraid to speak her mind.
Ester is survived by her husband, Angel, and her children Leina Stowers (Greg) and Marc Ramos (Erica); her grandsons Samuel & William Stowers and Mitchell Ramos; her siblings Clarita Badua, Gary Macadangdang, and Ardel Vandenberg; and cousins, nieces and nephews.
Thank you, dearest Mom, for showing us how to be strong and courageous, and teaching us that it’s possible to accomplish your dreams.
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