I am blessed to have known Ramona and call her my friend. We first met when I joined TfL in 2008, my first impression was to be slightly overwhelmed by this louder than loud woman who looked like she was in a foul mood with someone or or something. She spent that first morning banging some 'blouse and skirt' files on her desk and tutting at all in sundry. What kind of office had I come to work in?
As time went by, and she stopped banging the files, I got to know her properly and she became a great friend. Ramona was a listener and was there for me during life's big ups and downs. She was there with the practical advice when I was pregnant, 'plenty of iron girl, a Guinness never hurts when your pregnant'. When I was getting married the advice was, 'remember, you don't need a man to make you happy'. A few of us women in the office were bestowed that advice approaching our wedding days. Ramona was proud of her independence, she worked hard for it, valued it and had a lot to show for it too.
I loved 'Prosecco nights' with Ramona and Sheen, 'come on ladies, let's have a drink and put the world to rights' she'd say and we did. Even if I turned up tired or grouchy after a particularly trying day, I would go home smiling, the 'world was put to rights'. She loved her food, her batch cooking on a Sunday prepped for the week ahead, exercise and the gym, her tennis, she had the hots for Roger Federer and the nots for Andy Murray; she read through each 50 Shades of Grey book faster than you could say ' bodice ripper' and of course she loved a natter and catching up on all the news.
Ramona will be missed by so many people from the past and the present, she made an impact whether she knew it or not. The universal thing I believe we will all miss is that laugh, it would stop you in your tracks. When she laughed heads would lift up from their work, look around at each other and it would set off another chain of giggles and smiles. Ramona was in.
I'll miss you my lovely Ramona, thanks for all the laughter.
Jenney xxx
Jenney De Sousa
I am blessed to have known Ramona and call her my friend. We first met when I joined TfL in 2008, my first impression was to be slightly overwhelmed by this louder than loud woman who looked like she was in a foul mood with someone or or something. She spent that first morning banging some 'blouse and skirt' files on her desk and tutting at all in sundry. What kind of office had I come to work in?
As time went by, and she stopped banging the files, I got to know her properly and she became a great friend. Ramona was a listener and was there for me during life's big ups and downs. She was there with the practical advice when I was pregnant, 'plenty of iron girl, a Guinness never hurts when your pregnant'. When I was getting married the advice was, 'remember, you don't need a man to make you happy'. A few of us women in the office were bestowed that advice approaching our wedding days. Ramona was proud of her independence, she worked hard for it, valued it and had a lot to show for it too.
I loved 'Prosecco nights' with Ramona and Sheen, 'come on ladies, let's have a drink and put the world to rights' she'd say and we did. Even if I turned up tired or grouchy after a particularly trying day, I would go home smiling, the 'world was put to rights'. She loved her food, her batch cooking on a Sunday prepped for the week ahead, exercise and the gym, her tennis, she had the hots for Roger Federer and the nots for Andy Murray; she read through each 50 Shades of Grey book faster than you could say ' bodice ripper' and of course she loved a natter and catching up on all the news.
Ramona will be missed by so many people from the past and the present, she made an impact whether she knew it or not. The universal thing I believe we will all miss is that laugh, it would stop you in your tracks. When she laughed heads would lift up from their work, look around at each other and it would set off another chain of giggles and smiles. Ramona was in.
I'll miss you my lovely Ramona, thanks for all the laughter.
Jenney xxx
Jenney De Sousa
