Jeannette Ramos
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Jeannette Ramos Buonomo (July 3, 1932 – November 24, 2021) was a Puerto Rican judge and
First Lady of Puerto Rico First Lady or First Gentleman of Puerto Rico ( es, Primera Dama o Primer Caballero de Puerto Rico) is the official title given by the government of Puerto Rico to the spouse of the governor of Puerto Rico or the relatives of the governor, should ...
from her marriage to
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Roberto Sánchez Vilella in 1967 until 1969. She was the second wife of former Governor Sánchez Vilella.


Early years and marriage

Jeannette Ramos was born in
Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...
, to politician
Ernesto Ramos Antonini Ernesto Ramos Antonini (April 24, 1898 – January 9, 1963) was the President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and co-founder of the Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico). Early yea ...
and educator Josefina Buonomo. Her later childhood was spent in the Floral Park neighborhood of Hato Rey,
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
.“Es tiempo de que se conozca la verdad”
on ''
El Nuevo Día ''El Nuevo Día'' (English: ''The New Day'') is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1909 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and today it is a subsidiary of GFR Media. Its headquarters are in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. ...
'' (April 24, 2011)
During her childhood, she said she was victim of
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
from friends and neighbors.Jeannette Ramos Buonomo y el derecho a una vida plena
on ''
El Nuevo Día ''El Nuevo Día'' (English: ''The New Day'') is the newspaper with the largest circulation in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1909 in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and today it is a subsidiary of GFR Media. Its headquarters are in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. ...
''; Toro, Ana Teresa (May 8, 2011)
When she was young, she traveled with her family to Europe, including England and the Netherlands. During a visit to a nightclub, she met Dutch Wouter Bordewijk. They fell in love and married when she was 18 years old. They lived in the Netherlands for eight years, and had two children together: Wouter Ernesto and Robert Paul.


Return to Puerto Rico

Ramos and Bordewijk divorced, and she decided to return to
Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
. While here, she started studying law, despite the opposition of her parents. She studied at the
University of Puerto Rico School of Law The University of Puerto Rico School of Law is a law school in Puerto Rico. It is one of the professional graduate schools of University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus and the only law school in the University of Puerto Rico System. It ...
, where she met Harold Toro, a fellow law student. They married in 1964, but divorced two years later. During this time, she also started working as a Special Aide to the Governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella.


First Lady of Puerto Rico

In March 1967, news of an
affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...
between Governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella and Jeannette Ramos, his former legislative aide, became public. Once the scandal broke, Governor Sánchez, who initially denied the allegations, announced that he would seek a divorce from his wife of 31 years, First Lady
Conchita Dapena María Concepción "Conchita" Dapena Quiñones (November 8, 1913 – February 25, 2003) was the wife of former Governor of Puerto Rico Roberto Sánchez Vilella and served as First Lady from 1965 until their divorce in 1967. Biography Dapena w ...
, in order to marry Ramos. The affair effectively ended Sánchez's political career, as he also announced that he would not seek re-election. The difference in age - Governor Sánchez was 55-years old, while Ramos, who was twice divorced, was 35-years old at the time - also stunned Puerto Ricans. Roberto Sánchez Vilella and Jeannette Ramos married in a
civil ceremony A civil, or registrar, ceremony is a non-religious legal marriage ceremony performed by a government official or functionary. In the United Kingdom, this person is typically called a registrar. In the United States, civil ceremonies may be performed ...
in Humacao in October 1967, just two days after his divorce from Conchita Dapena was finalized. After their marriage, Ramos assumed the role of
First Lady of Puerto Rico First Lady or First Gentleman of Puerto Rico ( es, Primera Dama o Primer Caballero de Puerto Rico) is the official title given by the government of Puerto Rico to the spouse of the governor of Puerto Rico or the relatives of the governor, should ...
until the end of Sánchez' term in 1969. Ramos and Sánchez had two children: Roberto José and Olga Elizabeth. They divorced in 1997, after 28 years of marriage and a two year separation.


Professional career

After their time in La Fortaleza, Ramos started her own professional career in law. She presided over the Commission for the Judicial Branch Restructuring, which originated the Appeals Court itself. She then worked as an appeals judge in the Puerto Rico Court of Appeals from 1985 to 2000. When Sánchez Vilella died in 1997, she married the following year to José Rivera, a doctor from Ponce. They later divorced. In 2011, Ramos released a book called ''Intima'', where she shares details of her life. She is the daughter of known politician
Ernesto Ramos Antonini Ernesto Ramos Antonini (April 24, 1898 – January 9, 1963) was the President of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and co-founder of the Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico (Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico). Early yea ...
, one of the co-founders of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD).


Later years and death

She went on to write a book. She died on the morning of November 24, 2021 after a long battle with cancer.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramos, Jeannette 1932 births 2021 deaths First ladies and gentlemen of Puerto Rico Attorneys from Ponce University of Puerto Rico alumni