Claus Ricardo Ortega

Our father, grandfather, brother, and uncle Claus Ricardo Ortega passed away Wednesday afternoon surrounded by his family. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma the week before and had started his first round of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, he had complications which led him to be transferred to ICU.

Sometimes life seems unfair, and this is one of those times – just last year, and in the middle of a pandemic, my uncle was admitted to the hospital and ended up having quadruple heart bypass surgery. He made it through which was such a relief to all of us. And now 1 year later cancer.

For those who knew my uncle, you may know he had an adventurous spirit. He loved being a free spirit. He was not really one to follow the rules – even evident last week when he was admitted to the hospital and my cousin snuck in a pint of strawberry ice cream and pineapple Fanta which he ate in place of the hospital fish and rice. He had an immense love of the beach and passion for surfing. He was happiest catching a wave. He loved to travel – Germany, France, New York, and a cross country trip with his brother. He was a super fan of tennis and soccer. He was a gentle soul. He adored dogs and they loved him back. He was good with children. He loved listening to all kinds of music, watching movies and tv, drinking Coca-Cola, and eating Peruvian food. He had a wicked sense of humor so being around him was always so much fun.

And most of all he loved his family, and he was loved. By his 4 sisters, 6 brothers, his son, grandchildren, nieces & nephews.

Thank you for visiting this page, my family would appreciate it if you could donate any amount at all. We will be using all funds to take care of his affairs including, but not limited to, his funeral and memorials. The pandemic affected my uncle in different ways especially financially. He was behind on a lot of payments including his mortgage and has a lot of debts. Even if you can't contribute financially, we appreciate it if you shared this fundraiser.

Our family thanks you for your support.

-Letty Ortega