Ramona Negron

1932 - 2020

Ramona Negron

York - Ramona Negron of York passed away peacefully late Tuesday evening.

A beloved sister, mother, aunt, and grandmother, Ramona was born in Morovis, Puerto Rico in July 1932. Ramona was the eldest child of the late Pedro Negron Santiago and Victoria Colon Crespo.

As the eldest, Ramona stopped attending school in second grade to help care for her younger siblings. In the early 1950s, while in her early twenties, Ramona left Puerto Rico and was the first in her immediate family to arrive in New York City. She went on to play a key role in assisting each of her six siblings with their own migration from Puerto Rico to New York City in the following years.

Ramona, fluent and fully literate in two languages, often served as an interpreter in the Hispanic community and worked as a social worker for the City of New York where, among other roles, she was responsible for finding emergency placement for city residents who lost their homes to fire.

As a single mother in New York City, Ramona raised three children while working full time and attending night classes at New York University (NYU). At NYU, the tiny 4'-10" woman with a thick Spanish accent excelled, regularly scoring so well on tests and assignments that incredulous instructors often falsely accused her of cheating or seeking outside help.

Ramona moved to York in the late 1970s and again worked assisting the Hispanic community, this time at the Spanish American Center. She took great pride in her civic involvement, often telling the story of how she voted in every presidential election since 1960 or insisting that she accept her jury duty notices despite being well into her 80s. Her civic engagement began at a very young age, after her mother contracted tuberculosis while working in a tobacco factory in Puerto Rico. When it became apparent that her mother's condition wasn't improving at home, Ramona wrote a letter to the Governor of Puerto Rico explaining that without access to a hospital bed, her mother would not survive. Her mother was granted the bed because of the letter and went on to successfully recover from her illness.

Despite her small stature, Ramona's presence and hearty laughter filled a room. She was a lover of puns and wordplay, both in English and in Spanish. She loved to joke and make sure everyone around her was laughing. Further, she loved her family and made a difference in so many lives, serving as a second mother to everyone from her siblings to her grandchildren. Her family will be forever grateful for her impact on their lives and she will be dearly missed.

Ramona is survived by four siblings, Minerva Negron, Maria Pabon, Nelson Negron and Gloria Rivera; two daughters, Nancy Melendez and Ingrid McCracken Rivera; five granddaughters, Robin Melendez, Nicole Melendez, Teresa Melendez, Tiffany Gonzalez and Iris Gonzalez and four great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by two brothers, Carmelo Negron and Angel Negron; her eldest child, Harry Melendez, and her dear granddaughter, Veronica Rivera.

A memorial service for Ramona will be held Wednesday December 16, 2020 at 11am at St. Mary's Catholic Church in York, PA. Given the current pandemic precautions, her service will be also streamed online. Those wishing to view the service online may reach out to a family member for a direct link.