Coach Augusto “Cookie” Ramos, USMC/Ret., age 73, went to be with the Lord on July 24, 2009.

Memorial mass scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2009, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, located at 624 West Ponce De Leon Ave, Decatur, Georgia 30030.

Coach Ramos was born in Tampa Florida, on October 7, 1935. He was the son of the late Miguel and Maria Ramos, he had two siblings, his brother the late Wilfred Ramos, and his surviving sister Ceida Ramos Garcia.

Coach is survived by his sons, Mike, Augusto “Cookie” Jr. and Rocky, daughter-in-law Rebecca, grandchildren, Stephanie, Mike Jr., Rocky Jr., Michelle, Danielle and Lillie Ramos.

As a young boy he worked the family dairy farm, delivered papers for the Tampa Tribune, and was active in the Boy Scouts attaining the level of Eagle Scout as a teenager. He attended Jefferson High School in Tampa where he excelled in football, baseball, and track. He was a star athlete earning letters in all three sports and was nominated to all-city teams in football, baseball, and track. His natural athletic abilities, dedication to hard work, and passion for competition at an early age influenced all aspects of his personal and professional life.

At age 17 he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp extending a deeply rooted patriotism for America and launching a commitment to the US military that would shape his life and be an inspiration to all who knew him. He traveled the far-east in the post-Korean War era serving his country with distinction and establishing lifelong friendships with his Marine Corp comrades. He would remain a committed advocate for the Marine Corp and military service throughout his life inspiring many young men to serve their country with pride. “Semper-fi do or die” was his common greeting for fellow Marines and friends alike.

In 1954 he was seriously injured in an automobile accident and remained hospitalized for recovery and rehabilitation for 22 months. His injury left him with a permanent physical disfigurement and impairment to his left leg that would become legendary to his future fellow coaches and players. This tragic event proved to be a milestone in his life that would redirect his professional career and benefit hundreds of students during the next five decades. He was a living testament of the power of the human spirit to overcome physical challenges through faith in God and an unwavering will to achieve.

In 1958 he met Hope Rebon, and after just two weeks of courtship they eloped and married. Mom and Dad would spend the next 49 passionate years together as constant companions, best friends, and devoted spouses. She was the love of his life. Her passing in August of 2007 “was the hardest thing he had ever lived through.”

In 1959 his first son, Michael, was born, followed 14 months later by Cookie Jr., and in 1962, Rocky. His sons were the light of his life. He was a proud father, a strict parent, a firm disciplinarian, and yet a loving mentor who was devoted to “his boys.” Mom described him as “jelly wrapped in steel,” he was a man whose imposing physical presence was only exceeded by the size of heart and the fatherly love he extended to his players and students. He gave birth to three sons, but was “like a father” to many more.

As a Marine Corp veteran Coach was able to use the G.I. Bill to enter Tampa University in 1959 to further his education and pursue his dream of coaching high school football. He spent his university years raising a family and working for the American Red Cross, the Hillsborough County Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Tampa Tribune. His tireless work ethic and his drive to succeed allowed him to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in 1963. A few years later, in 1974, he earned his Master of Education from Georgia State University. He had a thirst for knowledge that he fed with books and periodicals about subjects ranging from sports, to military history, American history, and current events. His love of learning, as teacher and student, was a passion he shared continuously and pursued throughout his life.

For over five decades he was known respectfully as Coach Ramos. He began his career in Tampa in the 1960’s coaching at Adams Junior High and Jefferson High School. In 1966 he moved the family to Atlanta settling in Decatur close to Briarcliff High School where he was the head coach from 1966-69. The family moved to Chamblee in 1970 where he coached for two seasons before returning to Tampa for a short stay in early 1972. It was during this time he also spent several summers working for the DeKalb County Parks and Recreation Department as Aquatics Director, and as manager of Medlock Pool in Decatur. He loved athletics, worked out vigorously throughout his life, and was the role model of an athlete and sportsman.

It was in the fall of 1972 he moved the family back to Decatur beginning what would become a 23 year career as a Shamrock Dragon. In 1974 the family moved to 3001 Pangborn Road, just a mile from Shamrock, where the family home remains today.

He was a Dragon through and through. His career at Shamrock was filled with coaching hundreds of football games; hosting countless basketball games and wrestling matches; county, regional and state tournaments; and opening the gym early every morning before daily classes for the benefit of any student that wanted or needed an early morning place to play and exercise. He established deep roots within the community, developing lifelong relationships with fellow educators and students. He was committed to affording every student the opportunity to have a safe, secure environment where they could feel welcome.

He retired as an educator from DeKalb County in 1989 and continued to coach at the school until Shamrock High was changed to Shamrock Middle in 1995. His final two years coaching were spent at Columbia High School, retiring from coaching in 1996. He would often reflect on how blessed and thankful he was to have the friendships of his fellow coaches and players over these many years. His home was always open to coaches and players who would come by his home on Pangborn Road to reminisce and laugh, or just seek advice from “Coach.” He was to his final days a teacher, mentor, and coach.