Juana "Juanita" Ramirez

Juanita Ramirez, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and devoted matriarch, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 10, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. She was 77 years old. Juanita was born on August 13, 1948, in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas, Mexico, to Anastacio Covarrubias and Herminia Guevara de Covarrubias. She was the third of seventeen children and carried with her throughout life the strength, compassion, elegance, faith, and resilience that defined her from a young age.

In 1962, she met the love of her life, Humberto Ramirez. They were married on December 25, 1964, and in 1965 immigrated to the United States together, where they built a beautiful life centered on faith, hard work, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion to family. Juanita dedicated her life to caring for others. She taught adults how to read and write, volunteered throughout her community, cared for countless children through home daycare and Erie Neighborhood House, and remained deeply involved in her church and family throughout her life. She loved music, cooking, gardening, sewing, arts and crafts, and gathering her family together around homemade meals and conversation.

She will be remembered for her warmth, strength, humor, generosity, unwavering faith, and the way she made everyone feel welcomed, safe, and deeply loved. Her family was the center of her world, and her legacy will continue through the generations she nurtured with unconditional love and guidance.

Juanita was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Humberto Ramirez. She leaves behind five loving children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and countless loved ones whose lives were forever changed by her kindness and love.

Visitation services will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Lawrence Funeral Home, 4800 N. Austin Ave., Chicago, IL 60630. 

Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, May 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church 4646 N. Austin Ave., Chicago, IL 60630. 

Interment to follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Hillside, IL.