Ramona Yvonne (Ontiveros) Gracia passed away on Sunday April 11, 2021, surrounded by her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Born August 17, 1928, in Santa Maria to Roman and Jane Ontiveros, a descendant of early Spanish Californios, in Alta California since the late 1700’s.
Ramona, the youngest of Roman and Jane’s 4 kids, was raised in Sisquoc. She attended the one room Olive School on Foxen Canyon Road, where her Aunt Erlinda (Pertusi) Ontiveros taught all subjects to all grades. Ramona’s excellent penmanship is one of many testaments to Aunt Linda’s ability as a teacher.
One of what many call the ‘Greatest Generation’, she was a member of the Ground Observer Corps during WWII, a largely civilian group whose job was to identify and report any suspected enemy aircraft sighted. Graduating SMHS in 1946, Ramona entered the working world of a young woman in the 1940’s, equipped with bright red lipstick and Pall Mall cigarettes and spent most of her J. C. Penney earnings on J. C. Penny clothes. She worked for her future sister and brother-in-law, helping with the house and kids, met Orvill Gracia and married him in June of 1953. It was bliss; living in the Cienega Valley mud and heating water on the stove for bathing and everything else. Orvill and his brother bought the Corbett Canyon place and Ramona and Orvill moved there in 1961. There they lived out their days.
After 5 kids and 65 years of marriage, she lost Orvill in May of 2018 and has now followed him to their heavenly reward. Ramona was also preceded in death by her infant son, Michael in 1956, all her siblings and all but one of her in-laws. She is survived by her sons Gary (Joanne) Gracia, Bill Gracia and Greg Gracia, daughter Mary Jane (Stephen) Macpherson, 5 grandchildren, Clint, Cassie, Ross, Matthew and Geoffrey and 4 great grandchildren, Josh, Samuel, Isabella and Ellery.
Ramona will be celebrated with Visitation from 1-4pm (Marshall Spoo Sunset Funeral Chapel) and Rosary 6 pm on Monday April 19th (St Patrick’s Church). Funeral mass at 10 am on Tuesday April 20th (St Patrick’s Church) interred after Mass in the Santa Maria Cemetery. A reception will be at the Arroyo Grande Association Hall (“Portagee Hall”) starting about 1 pm.
Thank you to Ramona and Orvill’s incredible network of friends, relatives and Corbett Canyon neighbors for your boundless and bountiful friendship, love, and support.
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