Ramp, David L. Loving family and extended family members lost a beloved husband, father, grandfather, son, brother, and dear friend; low income consumers lost a magnificent trial lawyer and gifted advocate when nationally renowned consumer attorney David L. Ramp, 59, died of cancer on May 7th. David Ramp, born in Minneapolis, MN, grew up near Cleveland, OH. After graduating from the University of Akron College of Law in 1976, he returned to MN and began a distinguished career of lifelong public service. As a new lawyer, he nearly single-handedly opened the Morrison-Todd Legal Aid office in Little Falls. Over the next twenty-three years, he represented low income clients as a legal aid attorney in Little Falls, Duluth, St. Cloud and Minneapolis. During fifteen years in the Minneapolis offices, his work in consumer advocacy, particularly regarding rent-to-own and landlord- tenant issues, gained national attention, leading Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch to recruit him in 1999 to represent the citizens of MN, where he continued to work for the rights of consumers. After a brief tenure in private practice to engage in consumer class action litigation, he returned to public service in 2004, to the State of Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings, where he worked until cancer tragically forced him to retire. Career honors/awards include: prestigious national Vern Countryman Award in 1997; Best Paper Award in 1997 from the American Marketing Association for a paper on the rent-to-own industry; Hennepin County Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Public Sector Award in 1999; Member of the Consumer Advisory Council Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve System 1998-2000. David lovingly and tirelessly nurtured his family, home and garden. Other passions included trains, cooking, camping/biking/canoeing with his family, music and the peacefulness of a sunrise viewed in the company of his dear wife. David Ramp is survived by his beloved wife, Linda "Toni" Silver; children, Ian Silver-Ramp and Noah (Laura) Silver; grandchildren, Eli and Mira Silver; parents, Marjorie and Floyd Ramp; siblings, Sandy (Dick) Smith, Paul Ramp (Cary Staples), Cheryl Ramp (Bob Waffle); brother- in-law, Brian (Nancy) Silver; nieces and nephews, Brett and Gwen Smith, Gillian and Evan Waffle, Cohl Staples- Ramp, Katelyn Silver, Rob and Clint Schaefer). A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, May 16th at 11:00 am at the Coon Rapids Dam Park, Pavilion 5, 9750 Egret Blvd NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to The Fund For The Legal Aid Society.
This obituary was originally published in the Star Tribune.
I am proud to pay my respects to my former colleague David Ramp. My sympathies to his family. Based on my 32 years acquaintance with David, I know you have every reason to be proud of him.
Kurt Anderson
June 06, 2009 | Minneapolis, MN
I first met David in 2003 when he applied for a position with my law firm. We had narrowed the field to three candidates and everyone in the office interviewed each of them. David Ramp was head and shoulders the first choice of everyone in the office. He was smart, personable, and engaging in a very unassuming way. When I went home that night and told my husband that our strongest candidate had worked for Legal Aid for twenty years, his immediate and ardent response was "hire him!"
Teresa Patton
May 21, 2009 | Saint Paul, MN
Dear Toni and Family,
I had the pleasure of working with Dave at Legal Aid in the Northside office and seeing firsthand his truly heroic work on rent-to-own and other issues. A great lawyer and a great human being, filled with determination, intelligence, and compassion -- a model for public interest lawyers everywhere. I'll continue to be inspired by his example.
Sam Magavern
May 16, 2009 | Buffalo, NY
Words for David (original poem)
Mother Nature claims us,
One and All.
Her children are never lost,
Are one with her,
Always and Forever More.
You are her son,
From her formed, to her returned
Though never gone.
We are but human and we mourn,
Forced to bear witness as you,
Like the sturdy elm,
Lose life and limb til
You have no leaves for shade
Nor safe place for nest,
No reason left to be a tree.
We watch...
May 15, 2009
Our thoughts and prayers are with Dave's family. His brother Paul and I were friends throughout our school years, and Dave was a kind (if at the time also imposing) figure in all of our lives. He will be missed.
Kevin Swan
May 15, 2009 | Hinckley, OH
I'm very sorry for your loss. As a good friend of his brother Paul, I knew Dave growing up in Richfield, Ohio and have many fond memories of times with the whole Ramp family. Reading through his accomplishments, it's obvious he was certainly a person who carried on the values of his parents and made a great impact on the world around him.
Rob Steffen
May 14, 2009 | Lone Rock, WI
Dearest Linda, Ian, Noah, Laura, Brian & Entire Family,
Murray and I were blessed to have shared so many wonderful times with David. He was a brilliant, generous and compassionate man and all our lives were touched by his loving heart and wisdom. He will be greatly missed and remembered... Sending deepest condolences... Gail & Murray Staal
gail staal
May 14, 2009 | Manhasset, NY
feeling your loss here, wishing i could be closer...sending love and hugs
barry davison
May 14, 2009 | Rhinebeck, NY
This is a loss for all Minnesotans.
Jay Wilkinson
May 13, 2009
