Cecil(Sonny) P. Ramsey Jr.

A much loved husband , father, grandpa, great-grandpa, son, brother, and friend; Cecil (Sonny) P. Ramsey Jr., age 72 of Lynden WA, passed away peacefully at the Whatcom Hospice House in Bellingham WA, January 23, 2013 surrounded by his family and friends. He bravely confronted a 4-month battle with advanced cancer throughout his brain & body.

Sonny was born July 11, 1940 in Berryville, Arkansas, to the late Cecil P. Ramsey Sr. and Pauline(Lee) Ramsey-Ayers. He moved with his parents at a young age to Skagit County and attended Burlington-Edison. He entered the Army at the age 18 and had a tour of duty in Korea from 1959-1960. He received an Honorable Discharge and Good Conduct Award for “Good Behavior, Efficiency, and Fidelity.”

After leaving the Army, Sonny met Lillian Coggins in 1964 of Lyman WA. Sonny & Lillian married December 10, 1965 in Lyman WA. They lived in Sedro-Woolley WA with their two daughters Patricia “Lynn” and Sonja. On June 16, 1966, Sonny started work at Intalco when the pot lines opened as a “Pot line Monitor.” Sonny would commute back-and-forth to work daily. In 1970, Sonny & Lillian moved with their two daughters to Ferndale WA to be closer to Sonny’s job. While living in Ferndale, Sonny & Lillian had two more daughters Karla and Chris. In 1977, Sonny & Lillian and their four daughters moved to the Nooksack-Everson area where they lived for 28 years; then in 2005 Sonny & Lillian moved to Lynden. In December 1999, Sonny retired from Intalco.

Sonny had many passions in life-fishing, hunting, riding his 4-wheeler, mowing lawn, washing & waxing his truck, and close to the end he loved building fires in the woodstove and keeping it blazing hot in the house. He often had a grandchild or great-grandchild with him. Upon retirement, he had more time to do the things he enjoyed-and savored his time in the hills, at the river or lake, and tinkering with his tools in the garage. It didn’t matter what Sonny was doing…he loved the outdoors. Sonny’s number one passion in his life was spending time with his wife, 4 daughters, 19 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and many other family and friends.

All of Sonny’s family & friends loved his caring and out-going attitude towards family, friends, and life. Even as his daughters got older and they got married and had their own families, they always loved to go home to visit their parents and hear their dad’s stories over a few Rainer Beers or a shot of Black Velvet with water chaser. There were many more stories Sonny loved to tell…like when his daughters were teenagers and wanted to go cruising the “Strip” in Bellingham “Sonny would give them a 2 to 4 hour lecture on using his vehicle and if anything was to happen…we were to take his vehicle to Kmart parking lot and put it under the “Blue Light Special” and then we better leave town;” or his three famous sayings “I Ain’t Lyin’ To Ya;” or “I’m 13 going on 12;” or when someone would ask Sonny how many kids he had… “Sonny replied It’s Cheaper By The Dozen.”

Sonny is preceded in death by his son Gary Ramsey, his daughter Sonja(Ramsey)Griffin, his father Cecil P. Ramsey Sr. and his step-dad Ernie Ayers, his mother Pauline(Lee) Ramsey-Ayers, his grandmother Maude Lee, his father & mother-in-law Reece & Bernice Coggins, his sisters Wanda Sue Ramsey and Dolores “Tootsie Roll” Nelson, his brother Bruce Ramsey Sr., his brother-in-law Calvin Coggins, his nephew Bruce Ramsey Jr., and many other family members.

Sonny is survived by his wife of 47 years, Lillian, daughters Lynn Ramsey-Hadeen(husband Donnie), Karla Ramsey, Chris Sullivan(husband Joe); 5 step-grandchildren Angie Hadeen, Sonja Dupuis(husband Matthew), Brandon Hadeen, Erika Hadeen and Dustin Hadeen; 14 grandchildren Tempest Duke(fiancée Danny), TeeAira Griffin, Taylee “Pink” McCormick, Alex Treptow, Darsi Mikela, Dayne Sullivan, Caitlyn Sullivan, Greg Johnson(fiancée Sammi), Patricia Griffin, Heather Alvis(fiancée Anthony), Austin Villegas, Tyler Grogg, Jordan Guzman; 7 great-grandchildren Mason Clifton, Tukker Hinderlie, Alexa Killian, Maleah Menchaca, Emma Johnson and Aubrey Hinderlie; 5 Special Foster Children Lynda Rife, Dawna Sorensen, Amanda McCormick(husband Jason), Sonja Olsen(fiancée Jamie) and Steven Dewey(wife Natasha); sister Kathy Butler(husband Jim); brothers Bob Ramsey(wife Eva) and Mike Ramsey(Sandy); brother-in-laws Donny Coggins(wife Renee) and Terry Coggins; and numerous other aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends.

Lillian would like to offer special thank-you to her daughters Lynn, Karla, Chris; son-in-law Joe; granddaughters Tempest, TeeAira, Taylee “Pink” and Erika; grandsons Greg, Alex, Dayne, Dustin; and her two special foster daughters Sonja and Amanda…for all the moral support, teamwork, the love & caring they all put into helping me(Lillian) with the care of Sonny/Dad/Grandpa.

Also, the family would like to express many thanks to all the nurses and staff at the Whatcom Hospice House, and too Dr. Hall(Radiology Oncologist) & Dr. Nester(Chemo-therapy Oncologist) at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cancer Center.

“Sonny fought a good fight…he kept a positive attitude till the end!!!” Sonny was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, son and friend-Sonny will be missed by all for his humor, kind-heart, generosity and laughter.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the “PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cancer Center at 3301 Squalicum Parkway Bellingham WA 98225 “In Memory of Cecil(Sonny) P. Ramsey Jr.; or Whatcom Hospice Foundation 2901 Squalicum Parkway Bellingham WA 98225 “In Memory of Cecil(Sonny) P. Ramsey Jr.