11th February, 2026
We have some very sad news: our dear friend Ramiro Ortega - retreat leader and much-loved member of the Sharpham Trust family - died in Malaga, Spain, on Sunday 8 February 2026, surrounded by family and friends.
Ramiro was an immensely important part of the Sharpham community and had been leading retreats at Sharpham House for the past eleven years.
"Ramiro has been an integral part of Sharpham’s journey over the last decade, helping forge the Sharpham Approach as a mainstay of our retreat programme," said Julian Carnell, Sharpham Trust Director. "More than this, he touched countless lives through his quiet and calm holding of space and his depth of personal practice."
"I will miss his empathy and compassion but his influence will resonate through Sharpham and beyond in the years ahead and we can be thankful for that," he added.
Said Ben Ballard, Trust Programme Director: "Ramiro touched the lives of countless people who benefited from his teaching. His deep and unwavering commitment to mindfulness, and the way he embodied this through his presence and heartfulness, was such an inspiration to us all".
"Ramiro will be remembered with great fondness and gratitude and he was a true inspiration to us all. The reverberations of his teaching, his open-heartedness, compassion, and gentle wisdom will continue to live on and endure. We are so grateful to have known him and to have shared the path with him."
Ramiro's good friend in Spain posted this on the Caring Bridge blog set up to communicate with Ramiro during his illness: "For the past two weeks or so Ramiro has been cared for with such tenderness, in the palliative care ward of his local hospital in Malaga."
"He has been surrounded by family and friends, and held in love around the clock. Ramiro was lucid until this morning, and he asked that we put on some classical music for him to listen to. The day has been especially peaceful, listening to the music, and just holding his hand or massaging his feet. And a little over an hour ago our dear Ramiro gently breathed his last breath."
"A time will come for more words to be shared, and we will post on here as soon as any arrangements have been made to gather together in Ramiro's honour. For now, just blessings and gratitude, for this beautiful man and all that he gave to the world. We'll miss you, brother."
We are dedicating our next weekly online sit - scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday 17 February - to Ramiro to honour his life and teaching.
This is a chance for our wider community of retreat participants to come together to remember him.
Lynne Holmes will lead this sit, which is open all - even people who didn't know Ramiro, but who want to hold in mind and remember a loved one.
If you want to participate, please sign up here and the Zoom link will be sent on the day of the sit.