Bill Ramos (William George Ramos III), a respected Washington State Senator for the 5th Legislative District, beloved family member, and friend to so many, passed away suddenly of a heart attack at age 69, on April 19, upon completing his evening trail run with his dog, Sadie, near the home he shared with his wife, King County Councilmember Sarah Perry.

Bill was an extraordinarily kind man whose laughter and stories could warm any heart and his infectious smile could light up a room. He was driven by a passion for justice, guided by kindness, dedicated to making the world a better place, and always seeking to include the voices of those not in the room.

Bill was born in east Oakland, CA, to Lupe Arizu Ramos and Bill Ramos, raised in a grateful and proud union household. Bill’s deep sense of community connection and call to service was shaped by his extended Mexican and Spanish family, by their neighborhood church at St. Elizabeth’s, and by growing up in the community of his mother’s shop at Arizu’s Beauty Salon.

After graduating from St Elizabeth High School Bill joined the US Forest Service as a summer seasonal worker as part of a federal outreach program to underserved communities. That seasonal summer experience turned into a 30 year Forest Service career, with 16 of those years in the North Bend office serving in the Mt Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.

After his Forest Service years, he served eight more years with the Federal Transit Administration, where he was the tribal liaison to 60 tribes in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska. Bill supported community connections through buses and ferries, and worked alongside tribes to support and uphold federal treaty rights.

Throughout Bill’s Federal career he brought warmth and humanity to complex conversations of land management and infrastructure delivery. He worked government-to-government with Sovereign Nations, locally with business groups and hiking clubs, with ski area operators, and multi-national contractors. He brought the same respect, positivity, and focus to every discussion, and commitment to the greater good.

After retiring from the federal government, Bill was elected to the Issaquah City Council for a term and then elected to represent the residents of the 5th Legislative District as a Washington State Representative in 2018, where he served until December 2024. Serving in Olympia was the honor of his life. He led with humility, compassion, and commitment to those he represented.

He led on transportation (loved buses!) and the Hwy 18 interchange, improving safety on our roadways, and encouraging clean transit and climate policies. He helped shape landmark action to reduce pollution and help communities impacted by worsening fires, floods, and droughts.

Bill was then elected to the Senate and began his service in January 2025 as Vice Chair of Transportation Budget, leading on safety and infrastructure. He also led on housing affordability, environmental protection and labor. Upon passing a bi-partisan Transportation budget on April 23, leaders dedicated its passage to Bill’s work to find common ground and solutions for all Washingtonians.

Bill was a proud leader of the legislative Latino Caucus, and a grateful member of the Members of Color Caucus, deeply aware of the importance of representation and the power of community. He was a mentor to many and always willing to be of service. Whether on the forest floor, dance floor or Senate floor, Bill treated people with kindness and respect and sought outcomes that improved lives.

On a personal level, Bill was known for being the same in public that he was in private: a kind, loving and supportive spouse, father, brother and uncle. He also really loved doggos of all kinds. He was an amazing Ballroom Dance instructor for 20 years through his company, Dance All Night, with his sister, Lupe. He was a Black Belt in Aikido and ran the Stairclimb for Leukemia for 35 years - with the T-Shirts to prove it! Bill was a dedicated member of the Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ. He loved the arts and he and Sarah were season ticket holders at Village Theatre for decades.

Bill wrote about his philosophy of service in 2017, stating, "I will strive to be a servant leader, to lead by example, so that others can see what could come next…My challenge is to take on what I do not think I am capable of so I can expand my work for betterment, to stretch myself so that I can continue to help things get better. The trick for me is learning how to present information in a way that people can look at it, rather than fight it, and help others thrive. I must remember the name of my consulting business, The Common Good, and always work for it…My final goal is to do all I can so that when rest comes, it will be earned.” A very earned rest, indeed.

Bill ran six miles every other day for 45 years, and he died doing what he loved. Running his beloved trails helped him relieve stress during the legislative session and helped him reconnect with the forest. When Bill collapsed, Sadie alerted a nearby runner, who applied CPR and called 911. The family is deeply grateful for her selfless response, and the efforts of Eastside Firefighters.

Bill’s legacy lives on through his dance partner in life, and in public service, Sarah Perry, their adult children Maya Rose and Maxwell Ramos (Katelyn Wayne), Luis Barreto, his sisters Lupe Finch and Dolores Ramos, his Brother-in-law Don Allgeier (Corinne, Satie, Odile, Penelope), Sister-in-law Kate Laughlin (Tim, Larkin, Rowan), Sister-in-law Beth Moore (Dave, Forrest, Laurel), Maya Delgado (Kaiya, Milo) and many wonderful cousins. 

His legacy also lives on through their faith family at Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ, through his many friends, and through the dedicated members of the Washington State Legislature, and legislative staff, who serve tirelessly for a better Washington for all.

Many of us simply have the family we were born with. But Bill, his daughter, Maya, and son, Maxwell, were keenly aware that they had intentionally, and continually, chosen each other. He was the best dad anyone could have asked for, and they are deeply honored by his presence in their lives.

All who were friends to Bill knew of his deep devotion to his wife, Sarah. It was an uncommon love story fostered over a quarter century and touching hundreds of lives over time. They both shared a love of public service and of using their time on earth to improve lives where possible. They lived their lives in full community and are grateful to celebrate Bill’s life in full community, on Sunday, May 18th in Issaquah at 3pm. Please RSVP here if you’d like to attend https://shorturl.at/A564w.

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