James "Jim" Ramirez
October 1933 - January 2025
Jim Ramirez passed away peacefully on Monday, January 6, 2025, at the Josie Harper Hospice House in Omaha, at the age of 91. He spent his life in Omaha, raising his family, serving his community, and being a champion of the underdog. Jim was the son of immigrant parents and grew up in south Omaha.
Background & Achievements
Dr. Ramirez graduated from Omaha South High School. Jim began his education while working in the south Omaha packing plants. He took night classes, earning a Bachelor’s degree at what was then called Omaha University, and would later become the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He went on to earn a Master’s degree at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and was among the first Latinos to earn a PhD from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
His career included Boys Club of America Unit Director; University of Nebraska-Omaha Instructor and Counselor; and Omaha Public Schools Human/Community Relations Specialist.
Obituary
Jim had a special place in his heart for animals, especially stray cats. Many a homeless kitty found their way into his home and into his heart.
Jim Ramirez is survived by Karen Anderson, his life partner of over 40 years; daughter, Rene, (Chris) Campos; son, Jimmy (Mary Jo) Ramirez, Jr.; brother, Michael (Sandy) Ramirez; sister, Mary Helen Cuevas; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Michael and Josephine Ramirez; sister, Marcella Hedlund; daughter, Nikki Meyer.
Following a private family inurnment service, Jim’s final resting place will be Resurrection Cemetery in Omaha.
Website Information provided by Heafey Hoffman Dworak Cutler Mortuaries & Crematory
Theresa Barron-McKeagney
In 2013, Dr. Theresa Barron-McKeagney became the First Latina Associate Dean in the College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS). Prior to her time at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO), Dr. Barron McKeagney was an education counselor at the Chicano Awareness Center in South Omaha. In 1989, she accepted a position at UNO that also provided funding for her doctoral studies, a pivotal step that launched her long-standing career in higher education. Currently, she is a professor at UNO at the Grace Abbott School of Social Work where her teaching interests include Human Behavior, Social Policy, Diversity, Humanities, Qualitative Research, and Latinos.
Edward Babe Gomez
August 1932 - September 1951
Edward Babe Gomez, is a recognized Mexican American war veteran from Omaha, Ne, who was bestowed a Congressional Medal of Honor after saving his platoon from an explosive in the Korean War ,1951. Babe was described as a lively light that filled the room, his comrades remember him as ‘Gun ho Ready’ and always prepared for action and to defend his country's rights and freedom. After enlisting in the army only one day after his 17th birthday; Babe would become recognized War Hero from Omaha, Nebraska, remembered by his courageous actions by his troop and community.
Family Life & Childhood
His determined spirit did not spring out of nowhere, his father Modesto Gomez was a dedicated family man along with his mother Matiana Gomez. Modesto dedicated 28 years of his life to the meat packing plant factory life in South Omaha, he was a hardworking immigrant from Zacatecas, Mexico.
As a kid, Babe spent most of his time playing and adventuring his neighborhoods or the stockyards plaza where many of the neighborhood kids gathered. Jim Ramirez reminisced on days where himself and Babe were trouble makers, recounting on a memory where Babe crashed into a car with a sled, leaving a gash on his face. The memory bringing a smile to Ramirez’s face, recounting how they ran away from the driver due to panic.
In his rebellious era, Babe spent time at Kearny Correctional Youth center after getting into trouble. His parents decided that going to the correctional center would straighten him out and lead him down a better path.
A Young South High War Hero Edward Babe Gomez: First South Omaha Latino to Posthumously Receive Medal of Honor
A Young South High War Hero Edward Babe Gomez: First South Omaha Latino to Posthumously Receive Medal of Honor
Babe was honored with a street in his name located in South Omaha in 1973. In 2004, the community honored Babe by naming a new school opening in South Omaha after him, Edward 'Babe' Gomez Heritage Elementary School.
Babe enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on August 11th, 1949 and was later called to active duty in October 1950. While fighting in the Korean War in September, Babe and his comrades of the Machine Gun Unit, assigned to East company, 2nd Battalion, First Marine Regiment were faced with a grenade and split second decision. In a matter of seconds and choices, Babe’s heroic thinking saved his comrades from fatality; Babe used his body to minimize the impact of an enemy grenade, saving his troop members, ultimately sacrificing himself. In the final letter to his mother, Gomez expressed how there would be no better reason than for a man to die for his country.