On October 14, 2023, Maria Elena Calderon Ramirez passed away at age 95. Maria Elena Calderon Ramirez is survived by her son, Raul C. Ramirez, Jr, her daughter- in-law, Leticia Cortez Ramirez and grand-daughter, Alejandra Elena Ramirez. She is also survived by nephews and nieces who she loved dearly and who played an important role in her life, as well as cousins and extended family members. She was preceded in death by her father, Eulalio Calderon, mother, Eglantina Viniegra Calderon, twin brother, Guillermo "Memo" Calderon, and brothers, Fermin "Doc" Calderon, Eulalio "Lalo" Calderon, Julio Calderon and sister, Guadalupe "Lupita" Calderon Mendoza.

Maria Elena Calderon Ramirez was born August 1928 in her beloved Mexico City. She and her brothers Guillermo, Fermin, and sister Guadalupe were raised there till 1931 when they moved to Del Rio, Tx. Her parents were Eulalio Ibarra Calderon and Eglantina Viniegra Calderon.

She attended grade school at Calaveraz Elementary school and graduated from San Felipe High School with honors with brothers, Guillermo Memo, and Fermin Doc. Since high school her goal was accounting, starting her love for accounting, numbers, and writing. You could always find her writing letters to her aunts and cousins in Mexico City. Just like her father, an educator, and several aunts and uncles, she returned to teach in Del Rio.

Immediately following graduation from San Felipe, her father and mother sent her to the University of Texas in Austin. She remained at UT for two years till her father transferred her to Sul Ross College where she joined her tias, and sister Lupita, enrolling and studying education. Though she did not want to leave UT, she enjoyed being in Sul Ross going to school along with her sister. She received her BA in Education from Sul Ross May of 1949. After graduating in three years, she returned to her beloved San Felipe.

Soon after her first teaching job in the same high school where she graduated, she enjoyed teaching alongside with her father whom she cherished and adored. As fate would have it, her father, EI, passed the following year creating a huge void in the family, but like most families during this generation, they prevailed and persevered through this hardship. Not one to quit and give up, Maria Elena continued her education studies towards an MBA from UT in 1954 while still teaching at San Felipe High.

She enjoyed the privilege in educating several generations in the San Felipe Del Rio community. She started teaching in 1949 and finally retired in 1994 enjoying the love, respect, and admiration of many from the SFDR community. As many who are called to teach know- she taught because she truly cared for the children and families of the community in making it a better place. She truly shared her love and passion for learning by creating a continued legacy of educating the community and families.

She relished being the matriarch, eldest of the Calderon family, and being called "Tia" by countless nieces and nephews. She staunchly defended her siblings, family, loved ones, and students who were in need of an educational advocate. She devoutly practiced her Catholic faith at her beloved Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church where she and her siblings attended since they were children leading to the next generation of cousins practicing as well.