Deacon Jose Ramirez (also known as Pepe Buenavista), retired editor of El Heraldo Católico newspaper, who was ordained to the permanent diaconate in 1987 by Bishop Francis A. Quinn, died on Feb. 26 in Sacramento. He was 81. He served in the Diocese of Sacramento for 26 years.
A vigil service and rosary will be held on Tuesday, March 29, at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Funeral Center, located at 6509 Fruitridge Road in Sacramento. The funeral Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 30, at 10 a.m., also at St. Mary’s Funeral Center.
As the founding editor of the first Catholic diocesan newspaper in Spanish in the nation, Deacon Ramirez managed the entire production of about 300 editions of El Heraldo Católico. In 1979, he began his 18 years with the bimonthly Spanish language newspaper published by the Diocese of Sacramento.
Before launching his 30-year communications career as a news director and anchor on television and radio stations and editor of several newspapers, Deacon Ramirez, a native of Mexico City, dedicated himself to finding ways to improve himself and be resilient even when he experienced hardships throughout his life. After doing some bullfighting that gave him the surname of Buenavista, he began his media career in Mexico City with El Redondel and Novedades TV.
In 1971 he moved to California, where he worked for the Daily Democrat of Woodland-Davis, El Hispano, KMUV-TV Channel 31, Tele-Novedades de la Semana of Sacramento, and KPIP radio station (later known as KRCX) for the Sacramento metropolitan area. For Channel 31, he anchored news in Spanish.
He was active with various organizations, including being a member of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce for more than 11 years and the Diocese of Sacramento’s Hispanic communications director and host-producer of “Aprendiendo a Vivir” (Learning to Live), a 30-minute radio program that aired on KRCX radio every Sunday. He was also active with the Comite Patriotico Mexicano de Sacramento, Comite Mexicano de Beneficiencia, the Hispanic Catholic Communications Conference, and the Chicano News Media Association.
From radio programs to newspapers, Deacon Ramirez dedicated his career to finding innovative ways to launch news in Spanish in California. After his retirement, he created El Periódico newspaper in Sacramento.
As someone who was proud of his cultural identity, he cherished being able to share his heritage while also learning and experiencing many other cultures throughout the world. Through his Buenavista Travel Bureau, he led many groups on pilgrimages to places around the world, including the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Mexico.
During his courageous battle with cancer in the past year, family members said Deacon Ramirez was strong and motivational to many. He cherished every special occasion to share his inspirational speeches about the achievements of others. He embraced every opportunity to self-educate himself and always strived to share his knowledge with others.
While he was known as a pioneer of Spanish news and a travel expert to many, to his family, Deacon Ramirez was known for being more than a father and grandfather, but a true, loving friend who was always willing to listen or help others. For those who were privileged to know him, he was a role model and excellent mentor who helped many learn of ways to expand their opportunities. “He will be greatly missed and will always be in our hearts,” said his grandson, Manolo Ramirez.
He is survived by his loving wife of 51 years, Ana Maria, six children (Guillermo, Eduardo, Ricardo, Hernan, Margarita, Jose), many grandchildren, one great grandchild on the way, and his brother, Jesus.