Bill Ramos

WHEREAS, The Washington State Senate deeply mourns the sudden and 1
heartbreaking loss of Senator Bill Ramos, who passed away 2
unexpectedly on April 19, 2025, while on a trail run near his 3
Issaquah home, doing what he loved - spending time in nature with his 4
dog, Sadie; and 5
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos, raised in East Oakland, California, 6
served with humility, joy, and fierce dedication, his career spanned 7
city, state, and federal government, always rooted in a deep love for 8
people and community; and 9
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos served with distinction on the Issaquah 10
City Council from 2016 to 2019, as a state Representative from 2019 11
to 2025, and as a state Senator from January 2025 until his very last 12
day, representing the 5th Legislative District, which stretches from 13
Issaquah to Snoqualmie Pass and Enumclaw; and 14
WHEREAS, Prior to elected office, he served with the United 15
States Forest Service and the United States Department of 16
Transportation's Federal Transit Administration, where he worked 17
closely with over 50 tribal nations to improve transportation equity 18
and access in rural and tribal communities in Alaska and throughout 19
the Pacific Northwest; and 20
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos was a passionate, effective legislator and 21
a champion for transportation equity, tribal sovereignty, and 22
environmental stewardship; and 23
SENATE RESOLUTION
8659
By Senators Valdez, Saldaña, Alvarado, Cortes, Slatter, Lovick, Orwall, Chapman,
Salomon, Conway, Shewmake, Dhingra, Riccelli, Pedersen, Hasegawa, C. Wilson,
Lovelett, Nobles, Cleveland, Kauffman, Hansen, Krishnadasan, Liias, Stanford,
Trudeau, Frame, Wellman, Bateman, Robinson, King, Wagoner, Holy, Gildon, Braun,
Short, Fortunato, Warnick, Muzzall, Torres, Dozier, J. Wilson, McCune, Harris,
Boehnke, Christian, Goehner, MacEwen, and Schoesler
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WHEREAS, During his time in the state House, Senator Ramos 1
chaired the state Government & Tribal Relations Committee and 2
served as vice chair of the Latino Democratic Caucus, and in the 3
Senate, he served as vice chair of the Senate Transportation 4
Committee and was a member of the Senate Members of Color 5
Caucus; and 6
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos was deeply attuned to the struggles 7
of his constituents, especially working families and the Latino 8
community; and 9
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos consistently approached every policy 10
decision with an unwavering commitment to equity, tirelessly 11
seeking solutions to uplift marginalized communities; and12
WHEREAS, For Senator Ramos, centering equity in his work was 13
not a deliberate effort, but a natural extension of his 14
character and values; and 15
WHEREAS, Beyond his titles and accomplishments, Senator 16
Ramos was one of the kindest, most joyful souls to ever walk 17
these halls; he was warm, generous, and full of light; he 18
remembered your name; he shared his food; he lifted your spirits 19
with his contagious laughter and unwavering optimism; his 20
kindness was not performative - it was simply who he was; and21
WHEREAS, Senator Ramos was unapologetically Latino, proud of 22
his Mexican heritage, and always brought his full self into the 23
spaces he occupied; he was a dancer, a forest ecologist, a 24
planner, an amazing cook, a policymaker, and a beloved friend; 25
he taught ballroom, salsa, and swing dancing for nearly two 26
decades and infused every part of his life with music, joy, and 27
community; 28
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Washington State 29
Senate honor the life and legacy of Senator Bill Ramos with 30
deepest gratitude and celebrate the extraordinary service, 31
compassion, tenacity, and light he brought to this state and all 32
who knew him; and 33
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we carry his spirit forward - 34
in our work, our relationships, and our love for community - 35
knowing that his legacy lives on in every life he touched, every 36
trail he ran, and every corner of this state made better by his 37
leadership; and 38
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution serve as a 1
reminder to us all to live fully, serve with humility and joy, 2
and meet each day with kindness, purpose, and love, as Senator 3
Bill Ramos did; may we remember him always; may we carry his 4
legacy forward; and may we honor him not only in our words but 5
the way we live our lives; and 6
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be 7
immediately transmitted to his wife, Sarah Perry; his children, 8
Maya and Max; and the community he served with such pride and 9
devotion. 10
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate, 11
do hereby certify that this is a true and 12
correct copy of Senate Resolution 8659, 13
adopted by the Senate 14
April 27, 2025 15
SARAH BANNISTER 16
Secretary of the Senate 17
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