Julio Ramirez, Jr

Beloved by family, lifelong friends, and countless professional and amateur magicians, Julio Ramirez, Jr., 74, died peacefully at home on January 18, 2026. For nearly three decades, he owned and operated the JCR Magic Shop in San Antonio, which he started in 1997 with his younger son David, who was 12 at the time. The magic shop ultimately became not only a highly regarded small business in the area, but also a well-known destination for magicians and the magic-curious everywhere.
Born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, Julio was the eldest of eight children and son of Lily Walker and Julio Ramirez, Sr. He met Conchetta Voltaggio in 1978 in his hometown, and they married there in 1979. Business-minded and entrepreneurial from a young age, Julio worked in sales, operations and management for a variety of enterprises for several years after their marriage, until his role as a local franchise manager for Delaware Punch took him and his young family to San Antonio. There, they raised two sons and welcomed three grandchildren over the ensuing years.
Julio was managing a Burger King franchise across the street from the Alamo when he decided to make the leap to starting his own business. After a deal to purchase a business acquaintance's magic shop fell through, he leased space in the area to start a new one, after which he never looked back. From then on, his family joked that "he doesn't go to work, he goes to play." And indeed he did, learning the art of magic so that he could do demos for magicians looking to buy tricks for their magic acts, as well as for non-magicians who were curious about magic or wanted to introduce their children to it. It was one of just three magic shops in Texas at the time, and the only one in San Antonio.
Children were always an important part of the shop, whether they were Julio's own kids and grandkids or the children whose parents brought them to enjoy its wonders. It wasn't unusual in the shop's more recent years for people who had visited as children to come in with their own. Julio took very seriously his responsibility to teaching children about the integrity and values of the trade, not only by demonstrating magic tricks, but by demonstrating his support for the ideals of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. One of his proudest moments was when the group awarded to him the Order of Merlin in recognition of his 25 years of membership in the organization.
Though he fully enjoyed the world of magic and the opportunities to share it with others, Julio first and foremost saw himself as a businessman. He was a master marketer, with ingenious ideas for getting people into the store. His Saturday free magic shows benefited everyone, bringing more customers to the shop, giving magicians opportunities to practice their craft and build reputations, and providing a great source of entertainment for the weekly audiences. And though he treated the shop as the business that it was, Julio also cultivated there an atmosphere of family and community, and was on the premises daily to engage with customers and bring a bit of the joy of magic to their day.
As important as the magic shop was to Julio, his personal relationships and family life were just as or even more important. He loved spending time with family, including trips to Rockport, Texas, where he was content to fish all day. His lightheartedness, sense of humor, and exceptional ability to have fun were on display daily. He was always planning activities with his grandchildren that they could enjoy and learn from in fun ways. When his two year old grandson Isaiah gathered river rocks from the garden one day, Julio had the idea to paint them together. There was the basketball hoop he placed in his backyard especially for his older grandson, Leo, to practice. Just a week before he died, when his wife was bringing Isaiah home to spend some time with him, he instructed her to make sure to stop by Sonic for corn dogs on the way so he and the boy could enjoy eating them together.
Julio was preceded in death by his parents and by his sisters Sandra Gracia and Lillian Torres. He is survived by his wife, Conchetta V. Ramirez; sons Michael J. (Nancy) Ramirez and David A. (Carla) Ramirez; grandsons Azael, Leonardo and Isaiah Ramirez; sisters Carol Ramos, Mary (Juan) Carrizales, Norma (Art) Castaneda, Sonia (Jose Luis) Gurrola, and Yvette (Daniel) Lopez; and numerous other relatives and friends, including his lifelong best friend Henry Flores, whom he met in middle school and with whom he had a long and loving conversation just a few days before he died. Services will be private; if you wish to do something to honor Julio's memory, his family urges you to get together with the people you love and make some magic. He will be missed.