Skyline College communications adjunct instructor Pablo Ramírez, who went through the hiring process and was soon to be a full time/tenure track faculty member, died Saturday, March 1, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was 32 years old.
Ramírez was an adjunct communications instructor, teaching online classes at Skyline, while simultaneously pursuing a Ph.D. in communications and media studies at Arizona State University. Upon completing his degree in May at ASU, he would have been brought on as a full-time/tenure track faculty member at Skyline, starting his first semester this fall. His death has come as a shock to his loved ones and everyone who knew him.
Ramírez was born March 4, 1992, in Los Angeles, California. He was the youngest of three children, having an older brother and sister. While growing up in Los Angeles, Ramírez would entertain his family through creative performances and took a liking to the arts. In middle school, he learned and played the flute during the three years he attended.
After graduating from high school, Ramírez decided to pursue a degree in communications. Ramírez’s older sister, Daniela Ramírez, said he wanted to pursue a degree in communications due to his love of the arts and performing. He wanted to push the boundaries of basic theatre and engage new ways of expressing a message besides acting.
“He wanted to write roles for people like him because in theatre there were so many times that he was told he didn’t ‘look’ the part,” Ramírez’s sister said. “Comm studies offered him the outlet to imagine his performances with more thought behind it versus just the acting aspect.”
In 2010, Ramírez enrolled at San Francisco State University. After earning his bachelor’s in communications and media studies, he immediately returned to earn his master’s degree, completing his education in July, 2019. During his time as a graduate student, Ramírez interned in a public speaking class under Skyline communications associate professor Ryan Lescure, who in 2017, was teaching the public speaking class at SFSU. While under Lescure’s wing, the two worked together multiple times a week throughout the semester and developed a friendship.
Lescure said Ramírez was extremely drawn to using performances as a way to express messages and added a new take on the discipline of communications. Lescure described him as a very talented performer and said his classes went beyond your traditional communications class.
“His classes had a very involved and engaged energy, and had a really unique emotional richness,” Lescure said.
As an instructor, Lescure said Ramírez was very student-centered. He went above and beyond to get to know his students and cared deeply about their relationship. As a colleague, Lescure said he was very welcoming and connected deeply with those he met.
“As a colleague, a very warm and inviting personality, a kind person, a person who interacts with everybody with tremendous depth,” Lescure said.
During his time at SFSU, Ramírez also met Skyline communications associate professor Lindsey Ayotte. As an undergraduate, Ramírez had joined Ayotte’s speech team, which she coached. After beginning his graduate education, Ramírez became an assistant coach for the team.
As one of Ramírez’s many friends, Ayotte said she loved his dramatic sass, and would expect nothing less from someone as talented as he was when performing on stage. Ayotte was another who described Ramírez as a person who made a significant, positive impression immediately when meeting him.
“His beautiful smile would light up a room,” Ayotte said. “He truly was one of the kindest, most thoughtful individuals. I am so grateful for our friendship over the years.”
When speaking with Ramírez’s students, Ayotte said that they loved his friendly personality and the welcoming and encouraging environment he brought to his classes.
“He consistently created safe spaces for students to exist and for them to express themselves freely,” Ayotte said.
During his free time, Ramírez was a man of many hobbies. His sister said he had hilariously too many and she would constantly tell him he was too busy to start something new. However, he was eager to try anything and everything within crafting and designing.
“He learned to do chainmail, he was into diamond art, creating jewelry, and in the end he was trying to learn how to sew,” Ramírez’s sister said.
Ramírez was also a collector of figurines and Funko Pops and had a massive collection of Loungefly purses and wallets, as well as board games and DVDs.
Ramírez cared deeply about his family and believed family was one of the most important things in life. During visits from school, he would spend as much time with his family as he could, playing board games and cards. When away, his sister explained how no matter how far he was, he would always make sure to stay connected with them.
“He made sure to always be present as much as he could, even though he was the one that lived the farthest,” Ramírez’s sister said. “Always calling to make sure that everyone was okay and wanting to know what was going on with us in our day-to-day.”
His sister said funeral arrangements have not been made, but will be held in Ramírez’s hometown of Los Angeles. The family has established a GoFundMe page dedicated to raising money for Ramírez’s funeral titled: Fund for Pablo’s Farewell Performance.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lindley Meadow in Golden Gate Park, which will be hosted by fellow professor and friend Lindsey Ayotte, and other colleagues.