Joel R. Ramirez

Passed into peace from this earth on December 24, 2013, after a long-fought illness. Joel is survived by his wife of 67 years, Carmen (Varela); three children, Robert Joel (Joan), Eugene (Sequoia) and JoAnne Mathews; five grandchildren, Nicholas, Noelan, Brian, Eric and Celina; six great-grandchildren. He is survived by his only living brother, Fortunato Ramirez, 93 years old as well as many nieces and nephews. Joel was born in the community of Barelas on June 3, 1923, the second-to-the-last child of Fortunato and Juanita (Armijo) Ramirez. Joel and Carmon were neighbors growing up, long before they were married. As a young entrepreneur, Joel was well known around the Albuquerque Country Club as an excellent caddie. He enlisted in the Army-Air Force in December 1942 during World War II and was a survivor of the Air Transport Command while serving in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theatre known as the �hump�. Joel was well known for saying he was not as fond of the food on tour as he was of his native green chile. He and Carmen were active members of the CBI survivors group and met regularly in comradeship. Joel was a graduate of Albuquerque High School. He studied art at the University of New Mexico under many accomplished artists including R. Davey and K. Adams, both members of the National Academy of Artists. Joel�s life was all about the art he loved; he was an editor for art magazines, televisions shows and textbooks, he was commissioned by many large corporations, created well-known brand logos, exhibited at numerous art shows such as the Fine Arts Museum in Santa Fe as well as New York World�s Fair in 1965 winning many prestigious awards. Joel was a lifelong member of the New Mexico Art League and held the post of Vice-President for many years. Joel and Carmen attended our Lady of Annunciation Catholic Church for many decades. They were amongst the original parishioners. He taught art while Carmen sang in the church choir; and later, they were active members of the Golden Agers. Joel owned and successfully ran Ramirez Sign Company in Albuquerque for over 40 years. He was embedded in the original approach to the art design of sign-making and worked diligently to produce signs and art he was extremely proud of. Joel was an avid history buff and loved reading and sharing his New Mexico history. His art reflected his devotion and love of the New Mexico landscape. Joel was a proud man who always dressed in a suit and tie (red, of course) and shared his love of art with everyone he met. A Rosary will be recited at 10:00 am followed by a Mass at 10:30 am on Saturday, January 4, 2014 at Our Lady of Annunciation Catholic Church, 2621 Vermont NE, Albuquerque, NM. Burial will follow at Sandia Memory Gardens, 9500 San Pedro NE, Albuquerque, NM.