Police Office Rafael Ramos, who was posthumously promoted to detective first class by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, was born and raised in Sunset Park.
He was born on December 9, 1974 to Julia Romero and Rafael Ramos, Sr. and graduated from Public School 169, also known as the Sunset Park School, at Seventh Avenue and 43rd Street, and Charles Dewey Junior High School 136, at Fourth Avenue and 40th Street.
When Ramos reached high school age, the family moved to Glendale, Queens and Ramos attended the former Franklin K. Lane High School, in nearby Cypress Hills. My youngest son-in-law, Jovanni Mendez, who attended P.S. 169, knew him well, and remained friends with him, his wife Maritza and sons, Justin, 19 and Jaden,13.
Ramos and his partner Wenjian Lin were assigned to the 84th Precinct. We spoke with longtime 84 Precinct Community Council President Leslie Lewis, a good friend who also serves as the Brooklyn Borough President’s criminal justice liaison.
He told this column plans are underway to add two plaques to the precinct station house’s memorial wall with a public ceremony and the unveiling on Tuesday, January 20.
I would like to give special recognition here to the New York Yankees who offered to pay education expenses for the two Ramos boys, and to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to the Towers Foundation which stepped up to pay off the mortgages for both the Ramos and Liu families.
Additionally, I would like to recognize Jet Blue for providing free airline tickets to police officers from around the country who attended the Ramos funeral and to bring relatives from China for the Liu services.
Ramos’ funeral was held at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale on Saturday, December 27. The wake for P.O. Liu, a Buddhist congregant, will be held at the Aievoli Funeral Home, 1275 12th Avenue, in Dyker Heights on Saturday, January 3, with the funeral service on Sunday, January 4.
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