Another example of a life taken too soon

It seems to happen too often.

A young life stricken down in its prime, parents unfairly having

to deal with the death of a child taken from them.

And at Corona del Mar High school it has happened again, this time

to a well-loved young man named Matt Ramirez.

Matt was 17 years old when his life ended as he rode his dirt bike

in the desert area of Glamis, a popular spot for off-road

enthusiasts.

He was struck by a dune buggy and died in his father’s arms.

Questions about the safety of motocross riding and the safety of

the Glamis recreational areas are sure to be raised in the wake of

Matt’s death and probably should be.

But we’d just like to take a moment to pass on our condolences to

his family and friends and all those who knew him at Corona del Mar

High.

“Sometimes we forget each one of us here in Corona del Mar touches

a whole other world,” Corona del Mar Principal Sharon Fry said at a

memorial for Matt on Monday. “We see a small part of everyone every

day, but we never see the rest of their lives. We don’t understand

that unless something like this happens.”

And that is the tragedy.

For us it took his death to get to know what a great guy Matt

Ramirez was. He was a loving brother, son and friend. His memorial

featured a host of his favorite things: a model ATV, a pair of Jordan

shorts, a can of his favorite drink, Diet Coke, cologne; and boxes of

take out food from Pickup Stix. He was active in the his church and

the choir, playing the congas.

“My brother touched a lot of lives,” said his sister Christine

Aguilar.

That we are sure of. And that will be the hardest part for his

family and friends to deal with as his loss becomes painfully clear

in the months ahead.

We are just sorry that we never had the chance to get to know him

too.