August 24, 1976, a bouncing baby boy, Dirk Anthony was born to proud parents Ava and Anthony Ramrattan at San Fernando, Trinidad. There was much to celebrate, doting grandparents, Flora and Barry Brown welcomed their first grandchild. From a tender age, Dirk was a curious inquisitive child who always held a question on his lips.
Dirk attended the most prestigious high school in town, Presentation College and graduated in 1993. Shortly after, Dirk relocated to the United States and continued his studies at Andrew Jackson High School in Queens, New York where he graduated with honors in June 1994. His college career was an impressive testimony to his perseverance and his unwavering commitment to excel in all his endeavors: Beginning his studies at City College, Dirk pursued a major in Biology.
Upon graduating, he enrolled in the Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy at Long Island University and graduated with a Doctorate of Pharmacy. Believing in challenging himself, and always striving to be better and do better, in 2005 Dirk enrolled in the Frank G. Zarb school of Business at Hofstra University and graduated with an M.B.A in Finance.
Dirk began his supervisory position while at Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, 2004. He managed store operations, team building, and he promoted consistent grown and profitability. Dirk continued to climb the ladder and in 2012, he joined the Northwell Health System, the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York State. Dirk quickly advanced and became director of Vivo Health Pharmacy, a community retail pharmacy in New Hyde Park, New York.
Dirk worked on the URAC Accreditation for all of the Vivo Health Pharmacies, which is considered the gold standard for specialty pharmacies and all sites were given full accreditation with the perfect scores. Dirk was the driving force behind this success.
On October 19, 1999, Dirk experienced the joy of welcoming his precious daughter, Tsian. While proud of his achievements and acknowledging that they were the fruits of his labor, Dirk never took for granted the love, encouragement, and support that he had from his family, especially his mother Ava and his sister Asa, and his wife Keisha, who not only loved but admired him. On July 4, 2009 Dirk entered anther phase of success by taking on to himself his wife, Keisha. Together, they scaled mountains, hiked trails, skied through snow, dived through sky and seas; danced through songs; loved through storms, held hands through the rain, and created sweet memories which will now become the wind beneath Keisha’s wings.
An avid golfer and active member of the Long Island chapter of the National Negro Golf Association, NNGA, the oldest African American golf club comprised of members across seven state chapters, Dirk played on courses across the United States with 150 of his “brothers”.
As treasurer of his local chapter, he volunteered his time to support many community projects from raising funds for the United Negro College Fund to mentoring young golfers within the community. As a seasoned professional, Dirk looked forward to playing an even greater role in the community as a role model to others seeking to advance in their professional careers. As a mentor in the healthcare industry, he worked to instill pride, commitment and the importance of maintaining high standards.
Dirk touched the lives of many with his generosity, liveliness, and sense of humor. He was an inspiration to all those around him, he encouraged everyone to strive for success and to map out a vision for their lives.
Dirk’s memory will be honored by his wife Keisha; his daughter Tsian; his parents Ava and Anthony; his sister Dinelle (Asa) and her husband Devon; Nephews: Daniel and Luke; Nieces: Charmaine, Brianna, and Georgia-Rae; Aunts: Annette, Wendy, Gail, Yvette, and Claire; Uncles: Kenlan, Lexter and Roger; In laws: Gwendoline, Kenneth, Koreen, Nadine, Onika, and Christopher, Cousins: Phillip, Tyler, Laisa, Maghan, Jake, Michael, Nicholas, Matthew, and Jonathan; Godchildren: Courtney, Maghan and a host of family and friends. He will also be missed by his beloved dog, Sam Ramrattan.
Interment
St. John’s Cemetery~ Middle Island, New York
To honor and keep the memory of Dirk alive The Dirk Ramrattan Memorial Foundation has been created by his beloved wife, Keisha Ramrattan and is supported by the love of his close friends. The Dirk Ramrattan Memorial Foundation Mission:
1- To support research towards raising awareness for antisynthetase syndrome, ASS, and supporting families struggling with the disease.
2- To provide annual academic scholarships for pharmacy students at Long Island University, Dirk’s Alma Mater.
The Dirk Ramrattan Memorial Foundation is holding its first annual fundraiser: A Golf Tournament and Dinner Dance on Saturday, August 19, 2017, in Long Island, NY.
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