Ramona Adams DavisApril 15, 1923 - October 22, 2016Resident of CarmelRamona Adams Davis, loving mother and grandmother, passed away October 22, 2016. She was born on April 15, 1923 in Oakland, California. The daughter of Edward and Ramona Budd, she lived a long and interesting life, striving to make a difference in the world. Ramona, known to her family as "Cissy" when she was young, graduated from Holy Names Central High School in 1941. Early on she was a leader, serving as Student Body President and excelling in drama and speech. She continued her studies at Holy Names College and UC Berkeley. She was a member of Pi Kappa Delta Honor Society and Alpha Delta Pi where she developed friendships that would last her entire life.During WWII, Ramona began a career in radio at KLX in Oakland, becoming the first woman on radio with a talk show format in the Bay Area. She reported the news and conducted interviews for three years, including announcing the end of the war. In 1947, Ramona married Joseph Adams, a naval aviator.They were married in the Carmel Mission and then moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. While Joe was in the Navy, they moved frequently. At every new location, Ramona would find a fixer-upper to redecorate and create a charming home. By 1955 the family had moved to Danville, California and then in 1960 to a fruit ranch in Empire, California. They had six children: Edward Adams, Julia Foster-Bates, William Adams, Joseph Adams, Theresa Occhino, and Timothy Adams.It was in the Central Valley that Ramona resumed her radio career. She conducted political interviews and public information programs for KBEE, KTRB and KLOC. Her call-in show "Ramona's Partyline" became a Central Valley favorite. She wrote and recorded radio commercials for local businesses and charities, becoming a voice that her audience relied on for honesty and sincerity. Compiling favorite recipes phoned in from local listeners, Ramona published three cookbooks that reflected the warmth of her show. As cable television came on the scene, she moved her interviews and call-in format to television on local channels 4, 7, 8, 19 and 40. Ramona's radio programs built a sense of community and were designed to create public awareness of community issues. This sense of purpose led her to be involved in many organizations like 4-H, Soroptimist International, California Women for Agriculture, March of Dimes (Board of Directors), and President of the Board of "Family Tree", an organization devoted to helping emotionally disturbed children. She was selected as "Rural Woman of the Year" by Rural American Women, Inc. and served as their California representative in Washington, D.C.Ramona was remarried in 1974 to Jeffrey Davis, business manager of the Yosemite Junior College District. Jeffrey had 9 children of his own, so their home was a busy one. She had moved to Modesto and in 1976, Ramona ran for Stanislaus County Supervisor, District #1. The county's first female candidate, she received 42% of the vote. After the election, she conducted political discussions on the air with her program "What Do the People Think?" on KBEE.In the following years, Ramona became a passionate advocate for improvement in the care of the mentally ill. For six years,she served as a member of the Mental Health Advisory Board of Stanislaus County and was appointed by Gov. George Duekmejian to the California Council on Mental Health. Driven to find real solutions, Ramona created the "Buddy Farm", a therapeutic home for adults living with mental illness. She was awarded a commendation by Gov. Pete Wilson for the success of "Buddy Farm". She founded the Stanislaus chapter of Friends and Families of the Mentally Ill, now part of NAMI, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.Using her gift with fixer-uppers, Ramona obtained her real estate license and worked as an agent for Coldwell Banker and Weeks Real Estate. In 1990, Ramona and Jeffrey moved to Carmel. Always a dog lover, Ramona created promotional radio ads for the SPCA in Monterey. She enjoyed participating in local theatre and entertaining her grandchildren with many adventures. Ramona is survived by her six children, eight stepchildren, 15 grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. A private mass and memorial will be held. Donations in her name may be made to the Monterey County SPCA.A favorite song of Ramona's: "Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter...Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter...Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade...""...well done my good and faithful servant..." Mathew 25:23Thank you Mom. We love you.Condolences may be written to the family at www.bermudezfamilyfunerals.com View the online memorial for Ramona Adams Davis