EULOGY
Lyria's brothers' eulogies of can be read here.
DONATIONS
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Lyria's name to:
* Bridgewell, which provided Lyria with a fine home and services for many years; or
* The Peritoneal Dialysis Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (Designation: "Other Area," write in "CAPD").
MEMORIAL
Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate Lyria's life June 16, 2012
at te Red Rock Bistro in Swampscott, MA
OBITUARY
Lyria Ramos, beloved daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, died peacefully on May 27 at her residence in Danvers from complications of the kidney disease with which she contended for over three decades. Born on July 23, 1962 in New Haven CT, she lived in Rio de Janeiro, New York City and Providence before moving to the Boston area in 1978. She was graduated from Riverview School in East Sandwich and lived in several staffed residences on the North Shore sponsored by Community Group and Bridgewell.
Her 33 years on dialysis exceeded all expectations. Her quick smile, tenacious will to live, and feisty spirit captivated all who knew her. Hospitalized on numerous occasions, she defied the odds, bounced back, and persevered. Engagingly gregarious, she bonded with staff, medical personnel, fellow dialysis patients, and strangers – all of whom learned of her fondness for karaoke. She spent her last days contacting friends and family to say thank you and goodbye, showing a grace that inspired us all.
Lyria is survived by her mother and stepfather Myra Ramos and Ben Rogers; father and stepmother Jovelino and Joan Ramos; siblings Barton, Tarso Luís, Helena and Carlos Ramos; five nephews and two nieces.
Lyria's Boston Globe obituary can be found here.
Tributes
Leave a tributeSincerely, Melissa
Sincerely, Melissa
My first thought, when thinking of Lyria, is of her smile!
Her fight, sass, humor and the genuine person she was, lives on
for all who had the pleasure of meeting / knowing her !
~~Jenny~~
With Love and Light to Ramos family from Rob and Connie
You will always be remembered.
Happy birthday Lyria Ramos
Love Jen
- William Shakespeare
In honor of your 50th birthday, Lyria.
I am sure that Lyria's spirit is somewhere on that "staircase to heaven".
ellen
I hope you are having the grandest birthday party ever had in heaven!
You are an angel missed by all....... Never ever forgotten as you will always remain in our hearts! Happy 50th girlfriend!!
Liz, Kyle & Mollie
xo
bridget, jeremy, gus, and calum
Thank you for allowing me to meet Lyria on line and have a sense of her remarkable life both individually crafted and made possible by her village of family and caregivers.
I'm so sorry to learn of your loss. Thank you for sharing this moving remembrance of Lyria. My heartfelt condolences to the entire family.
Com todo o meu amor e saudade, Eunice
Trishala
Leave a Tribute
Sincerely, Melissa
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Tribute at Lyria's memorial
For years I dreaded the moment of Lyria's passing—and not only for the profound loss it would bring. I was certain Lyria would be terrified at the prospect of dying, and had no idea how I could respond or help her confront her fear. I tried to imagine what words I could say that would be supportive and comforting, and always came up short.
But when Lyria's time came it was not like that at all. As many of you know, she spent her last days reaching out by telephone, receiving visitors, and sharing memories. Shortly before she passed, she told Barton and me, “ You remember we talked about whether at some point I would stop dialysis, but I'm not ready yet.” A day later, she told Tarso and me, “You know, I'm kind of afraid to die.” I caught my breath, and Tarso asked,”Do you want to talk about it?” “Not really,” she said, and went on to talk instead about pleasant moments from her past. Two days later, she was gone.
Lyria was filled with grace in her last days. Her spirit became peaceful, generous, forgiving. For years she showed us how to fight for life against the odds. And at the end she showed us how to let go. She was a mensch all the way.
A Compliment for Lyria
Perhaps 20 years ago, when I was still working at Harvard Medical School, Lyria and my husband Ben came to an HMS holiday party. Noticing at one point that Lyria was sitting by herself on the sidelines, Ben sat down next to her and said what he thought would be a pleasing conversation opener: "Lyria, you have really beautiful eyes."
Lyria gave him a long look, then said, "How about the rest of me?"