Sergio Miramontes

1953 - 2022

Sergio Miramontes
April 10, 1953 - June 11, 2022
Sacramento, California - Sergio, affectionately called "Serge" and "Checho," was born in Monte Escobedo, Zacatecas, Mexico, and moved to Los Angeles at the age of five. The youngest of a big, bustling family, he was the darling of his parents (Vicenta and Pedro), siblings (Dolores, Ana, Socorro, Teresa, Concepcion, Pedro Antonio, Rosaura, and Jorge), and bountiful nieces and nephews. From humble, migrant origins, he graduated from Belmont High School, and later California State University, Los Angeles with a degree in Anthropology.
Serge was a fun, light-hearted, beautiful person, and attracted friends everywhere he went. Meeting Ronda Hauser in 1975, they shaped each other over many years - sharing adventures, forging career paths, and creating a family. Sergio and Ronda had two children - Pablo, born in 1984, and Lara (Mason), born in 1988 - and resided in Montreal, as well as Southern and Northern California. Sergio became a certified orthotist, worked at NovaCare and Hanger, and supported diverse people in need - including children with disabilities and folks who were incarcerated.
In 2004, he met Becky Starr, and they wove their lives together through a fulfilling, complementary partnership right until the end. Serge was adored by Becky's kids - Ian (Kellie), Cylas, and Lacadia (Nathan) - and grandkids - Madeline, Layne, Wynnum, and Lucas - and became a pillar of their family. Sergio and Becky retired together in Carmichael, traveled all across the United States and to Europe and South America, and tended to their vibrant home and garden. You could often see them enjoying multicultural cuisine and local concerts, wandering oak-shaded park paths, and loading up their Volkswagen van, Valerie, for camping trips.
Serge was inherently kind, generous, and helpful, and other than his families of origin and creation, he will also be deeply missed by the community connections he cultivated - from his former colleagues, to his neighbors, businesses he patronized, and even the animals he took care of. For an easy-going person, he certainly left an indelible impact. If you were ever the recipient of his expert handiwork or incredible home and mechanical projects, you'd know how exceptionally gifted and brilliant he was - and he gave of those gifts so freely.
In the summer of 2019, Sergio was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He received care at Kaiser (and later Gramercy Court and River Pointe skilled nursing facilities), and enthusiastically accepted treatment to mitigate the advanced disease. For almost three years, he maintained excellent quality of life, and continued to make beautiful memories. Sergio's family will be forever grateful to the care teams that were involved in his health journey.
Serge, Checho - thank you for allowing us to learn from your good nature, patience, and resilience. We should all endeavor to embody a little bit of you, Sergio, in our lives, every day.
Those who wish to honor Sergio's life and legacy may choose to donate to the following causes that were meaningful to him:
Shriners Hospital for Children: a network of nonprofit medical facilities supporting children with orthopedic conditions, spinal cord injuries, and other health needs in a family-centered environment. https://www.shrinerschildrens.org
Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders): an international humanitarian organization, providing medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, and exclusion from healthcare. https://www.msf.org
The Dream US: the nation's largest college access and success program, helping undocumented scholars achieve higher education, and their families and communities to prosper. https://thedream.us