Stony Brook grad dies suddenly at 42, leaving state trooper wife and 2 young kids

Hundreds of donations totaling $58,000 have poured in for the family

They met in the spring of 2006 at a park cleanup run by their Stony Brook University fraternity and sorority. They immediately became friends, then fell in love. After that, their families say, they were inseparable.

Nearly 20 years later, Karina Reyes, a New York State Police trooper, is grieving her husband, Carlos Luis Ramos, and raising their two children, ages 3 and 1, on her own.

Ramos, 42, died suddenly and unexpectedly Oct. 18 in the Bronx, according to his obituary. A cause of death was not disclosed.

A GoFundMe set up for his wife and children had raised nearly $58,000 from 373 donations as of noon Tuesday.

“Carlos was a devoted husband and father whose love was felt every day,” the fundraiser reads. “He was there for everything.”

Ramos graduated in May 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and applied mathematics and statistics. He was a founding brother of the Lambda Theta Phi colony at Stony Brook, part of the line known as The Vanguard, and stayed devoted to his fraternity brothers for the rest of his life, according to his obituary.

His obituary describes him as a trusted teammate and leader who earned deep respect from his co-workers.

“In his work and personal life, he showed up for others,” the GoFundMe says. “Now, we want to show up for his family.”

Money raised from the GoFundMe effort will go toward funeral and burial costs, everyday living expenses and the children’s needs, organizers wrote.

Ramos was born in the Dominican Republic, the first child of Luis Ramos and Carmen Rosario. His family moved to New York City when he was 3 months old. He is also survived by his brother, Cristian Ramos. The family dog, Bentley, also survives him.

A funeral service will be held Thursday from 3 to 8 p.m. at Williams Funeral Home, 5628 Broadway in the Bronx. Burial will be Friday at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne, New York. The time has not been announced.

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_{Top: Carlos Ramos and his wife, Karina Reyes (everloved.com / Cristian Ramos).}