Memorials & Tributes

Enjoy the View

By Ann McKinnon

When Connie Ramirez died in August 2018, her son Daniel and his wife Janis began thinking about how to honor her memory. They wanted a beautiful place where they and other family members could remember her and pay their respects. She had always liked the outdoors, loved gardening and seeing flowers bloom. Dan volunteered at the Wallace Desert Garden and knew that when it opened, it would provide more opportunities for memorials. Thus, the seed was planted.

The elder Mrs. Ramirez enjoyed visiting BTA in the springtime, when she was overwhelmed by the color and diversity of life. The Mohave Desert had a similar impact on her, stopping her short as she witnessed the explosions of color.

Connie wasn’t always a cactus fan – they were “so sticky” – but in time, she grew to love them. Dan is a talented hobby-botanist with an abiding interest in desert plants, and he had a wonderful collection. When he and Janis moved to Arizona from California, Connie fostered the plants they had to leave behind. She took them on and after 27 years they became her own. She was so excited when they flowered; as they bloomed, she shared her successes with her son.

The Ramirez family is tightly knit. With their children, Chiron and Calista, and Dan’s mom, they traveled the world. The kids were close to their grandmother and they learned many life lessons in their time together. Those years of shared adventures and quiet moments were precious. For the last eight years of her life she was homebound, but that didn’t keep them from loving and honoring her.

The Arboretum was a pull for the family because of the natural beauty of the gardens. They appreciate that it’s not all paved and formal; when plants split or branches fall, they’re often left to provide habitat for the critters that live here. There’s also a feeling of family; they feel welcomed by staff and volunteers, and know that their donations make a real difference.

The choice of inscription on the plaque is unique among memorials. “We all have loved ones we’ve lost,” Dan explained, “and everyone has a mother. That’s why we decided on the open wording.” It was a benevolent gesture to invite anyone who wishes to share their memorial. Dan and Janis hope visitors will sit and remember their mothers, and all they did for them. That’s why they went with a simple message: Mom, Enjoy the View. Janis added, “Connie was a generous woman so it was fitting to share ‘her view’ with everyone who wants to honor their mother.”

You can enjoy “Mom’s View” in the Sonoran Desert Loop of the Wallace Desert Garden. It’s just inside the loop, to the right of the trail.

Janis works for a large employer in the valley, one that offers up to $8,000 per year matching gifts made by their employees to charitable organizations; they are matching this memorial donation, as well. Have you checked with your HR department to see if your company is a matching gift sponsor? For assistance with matching gifts or memorials, please call (520) 689-4588.