Passing of Ramona Duran
Ramona J. Duran M.A. ’76 (8/26/1949 – 5/26/2020) of El Dorado Hills, CA, known to many family and friends as “Roma”, passed away peacefully at her home on May 26, 2020 at the age of 70. She is survived by her husband of 52 years, Lawrence (Larry) Duran, and her son Randy and his wife Kei from Tiburon, CA.
Ramona was born in Trinidad, CO and was raised on her parents’ ranch in the southern Colorado foothills near Aguilar, CO (pop. 600). Growing up on the ranch, she attended elementary school in a one-room school for grades one through six. Later she was bussed to Aguilar for junior high and high school, where she met and started dating her future husband, Larry Duran M.A. ’75.
Ramona received her Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Colorado-Boulder, and received her Master’s degree as a Reading Specialist from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Ramona taught elementary school as a reading specialist for 35 years, including in Racine, Wisconsin, in Frederick County, Maryland, and with the Rio Linda/Twin Rivers School District in Sacramento, CA. She also worked extensively with the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) providing professional training for classroom teachers.
After teaching for 35 years, Ramona retired and took a position as an adjunct professor with the School of Education at the University of San Francisco – Sacramento campus. She taught at USF until she was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in December 2019.
Ramona was very active over the years with the Sacramento Area Reading Association, and the California Reading Association, and served as CRA President in 2000-2001. She has also been honored as a Teacher of the Year for Sacramento County.
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