Edwin (Bud) LeRoy Ramey

Edwin (Bud) LeRoy Ramey, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, and mentor, died at Moog & Friends Hospice House in Penticton, BC, on Sunday the 28th of March 2021, two months after a catastrophic cardiac event, and will be sadly missed.  

Bud is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margery, their children, Diane, Cheryl, Wanda, David, and Yvonne, their grandchildren, Christine, Loretta, Anne, Emily, Saul, and Kyra, and three great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.  It would be impossible to list his many dear friends that are scattered across North America. 

Bud was predeceased by an infant daughter in 1961 and by his parents and two sisters. 

Bud was born on May 14, 1939, in Vancouver, WA, to Kenneth and Virginia Ramey.  His childhood was spent along the Washington and Oregon Coast, learning to live simply and to enjoy the ocean.  He spent many happy times with his father and uncle, beachcombing and fishing.  He always loved a good fish story and would respond with one of his own.  Like the time his mom told him and his dad (Pop) that a feed of tomcod was due.  The Pacific Tomcod is a small member of the cod family.  They went to Coos Head to go fishing and soon had a pail full and were ready to head home.  Just then, Pop caught another, and while hauling it in, a second fish grabbed it and hung on.  A third fish grabbed the second and hung on too.  Pop yelled for the gaff hook, and Bud ran for it.  They got all three.  The small one was a 1 ½ pound tomcod, grabbed by a 5-pound rock cod, and lastly, a 3’ long 15-pound king cod.  All were happily eaten, and a new fish story was born. 

In April 1952, Bud was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a big step that shaped the rest of his life.  In July 1958, he traveled to New York City to attend the Divine Will International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses held jointly at Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds.  Amid over 250,000 delegates, he met Margery Jansen from Saskatoon, SK.  They struck up a friendship and began to correspond.  After learning the exorbitant cost to insure the engagement ring, with much trepidation and a prayer, the proposal and engagement ring were sent by regular post, without insurance.  She said yes, and they married on May 9, 1959.  The rest, as they say, is history.  

From the outset of their life together, they were on the move.

They set up housekeeping in a studio apartment in San Francisco, CA.  During their five years in California, they formed many lifelong friendships.  Bud had the privilege of sharing in the construction of a new Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses at 1666 46th Avenue in the Sunset District of San Francisco.  Both the friendships forged during construction and the structure they built survive to this day.

In the summer of 1964, Bud and Marge and their young family moved to Mozart, SK, where the next chapter of their life began.  Over the next five years, the family grew to include five children, and moved into a considerably larger home in Wynyard, SK, just a few short miles away. 

Following a serious accident at work that left him with a permanent back injury requiring numerous surgeries over the years, the family moved into Saskatoon, SK, in May 1972.  The following 16 years saw multiple moves within Saskatoon, forming many lifelong friendships along the way.  There were also adjustments in employment that eventually returned Bud to his love of mechanics and design.  He spent the next 20 years with various employers in the hydraulic industry in the sales and design of custom systems for the gas, mining, and lumber industries.  This led to exciting underground visits and flights to the far north.  It also led to numerous moves for the family in the following years.

The first of these moves was to Regina, SK, in March 1987, where Bud and Marge and the two daughters remaining at home were warmly welcomed into the local congregation.  Despite a relatively short time in Regina, those friends became very dear to Bud as well, and he kept in touch with many of them for years. 

In less than two years, the need to provide care to Bud’s aging mother and aunt prompted another move, this time to California, back to the area where he and Marge began their life together.  There they lovingly cared for his mother and aunt until their deaths.  While living in California, Bud experienced the first of several heart attacks that marked another life changing chapter of his life.  By 1992 they made the decision to return to Saskatchewan.  Not long after their return to Saskatoon, Marge’s aging mother also required their care.  She passed away in March of 1994.

In time there was yet another move, this time to West Valley City, Utah (fall of 1998) where Bud’s expertise was required by his employer.  Although the move was difficult, they again threw themselves into the new congregation.  They worked hard to do all they could to assist their brothers and sisters, providing spiritual and physical assistance to many, making lifelong friendships.

After a relatively short time in Utah, there was another move, this time to Edmonton, AB.  When the time came, Bud was happy to retire right on time, and threw his energies into his ministry, becoming a full-time minister of Jehovah (regular pioneer) for a time.  While completing the paperwork for his retirement, Bud found it humorous to discover that his true birthdate was May 14th not May 15th as he had previously believed.  During this time, Bud and Marge felt privileged to be delegates to the 2006 “Deliverance at Hand” International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Munich.  This trip left a lasting impression on Bud.  Though the love of friends warmed their hearts, the cold prairie winters became difficult for Bud and Marge to manage.  As so many prairie folks before them, they retired to Penticton, BC in the summer of 2008. 

Bud never retired from his work as a minister of Jehovah.  Along with his wife Marge, he remained busy in the local congregation, becoming a mentor to the young and assisting the elderly, continuing to be busy in the preaching work and congregation activities, forming yet another group of cherished friends in the community and the congregation.  In retirement, he also developed a love of gardening and was proud of the fact that he was able to grow a peach from pit to fruit-bearing tree.  

Bud’s faith and his love for his god, Jehovah, sustained him throughout his life, and especially over the past few weeks of his life.  He spoke of his hope to live on a paradise earth frequently, and the banner of the fruits of the spirit that hung in his room, created by children in the congregation, sparked many conversations. 

The family wishes to extend their deepest appreciation and thanks to Dr. Brian Forzley and the ICU staff at Penticton Regional Hospital, as well as the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Hospital Liaison Committee, for their assistance in researching treatment options.  Also, Dr. Allister Bannerman, Dr. Andrew Robertson, and Dr. Tyler Murphy, along with the amazing staff at Moog & Friends Hospice House, who offered caring support and comfort right to the end.  We cannot say enough about these folks who face every day with grace, a smile, and a healthy dose of positivity.  Thank you all!  

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Memorial Service will be held via Zoom on Sunday, April 25th, at 1pm Pacific Time.  For details to attend, please email rememberingbudramey@gmail.com