Virginia

This is the story of my husband, a hardworking, loving man. He was terrified of covid19, as he had some underlying conditions of concern. He continued to work for a well known grocery grocery chain, where he’d been for 38 years. He began “just not feeling good” on April 28th. The only symptom he had was fatigue. We visited our Dr on May 1st, he was put on antibiotics, just in case. By Sunday night, he had lost his sense of taste. He was admitted to the hospital “for further evaluation” on May 4th. He did well, until the 9th and he had to be put on a ventilator. He had all of the experimental treatments, to include plasma and fought hard until he could not anymore. He died on May 24th. His family wasn’t able to see him for over a month and could not say goodbye. Not only did we lose a wonderful husband, father of four, grandfather of two and giving soul, we lost our main source of income, our health benefits and our source of security, the world lost one of the good ones. This is impacting our family, ongoing. Bringing on mental health challenges, financial insecurity and our days ahead. Please, if you haven’t, consider getting vaccinated. I only wish my Ricky could have.

My husband passed after not feeling good on April 28, being hospitalized on May 4th. The same day, my symptoms started and I tested positive on May 11th. My husband was already on a ventilator, where he stayed for 13 more days before dying. He was such a kind, generous, funny guy. Wonderful husband, loving father of 4 and grandfather of 2. He is missed so deeply.

We have lost the most loved & needed person in our family aka Dad. This legendary man raised 3 generations of children & was still doing so with his great-grandchildren up until the day he was hospitalized with the virus. Covid-19 took away his chance to see them grow. 08/08/1937-05/28/2020

My father passed away from Covid-19 on September 1st. On Thursday, August 6th, my mom, my sister, and I got a text that he had checked himself into the hospital. I managed to call his room and talk to him, but I got a phone call the next morning that he had been placed on a ventilator. My dad had COPD so once he was on the ventilator it was doing all of his breathing for him and after 3 really hard weeks and no improvement, there was nothing to be done and we had to take him off. He had a five percent chance of surviving a tracheotomy, which they couldn’t perform because he was not testing negative for Covid-19 after 3 weeks. I am grateful to the hospital staff who let my sister and I go in and hold his hand and say goodbye. But you don’t think that you’re going to lose your dad at 25 years old. And I get so sad and angry when I think about all of the things he’s not going to be there for—like weddings and grandkids and celebrations. I miss him so much and while I’m thankful that’s he not in pain anymore, I just wish he was here.

April 21, 2020, from Covid-19. Devoted mother of David (Andrea), Daniel, and Jennifer (Larry Rosenfeld). Beloved grandmother of Jake, Liam, Nora, and Julia. Sister of Jerome Wiener. Born June 5, 1925 in Brooklyn, NY to immigrants from Galicia (eastern Europe). Graduated from Brooklyn College, 1946. Master of Social Work from Tulane University, 1950. Social worker for Jewish service organizations, later for New York City Board of Education, after her children were grown. Married for 59 years to Gerald (‘Jerry’) Weiss, who died in 2014. Pearl met Jerry at a fundraising dinner to oppose Senator Joseph McCarthy (in 1954), and was a supporter of progressive causes throughout her life. She loved art, music, dance, traveling, and most of all her family. Pearl embraced life with zest and met its challenges with strength. We’ll cherish the memories of her life well-lived, and hold her close forever in our hearts.

First my daughter youngest daughter went online to study dance in her college program, next our oldest daughter lost her job due to COVID-19, then my nephew and his young family including two children tested positive, then my father died from COVID just 4 days after testing positive and most recently my good friend reported that at a healthy 39 years old, she now must have surgery to place a stent in her heart after COVID left her heart valve damaged. Covid-19 has prevented our family from gathering to honor our father, from grieving together, from going to school. It has been an exhausting, heartbreaking, and emotional year. I miss my dad dearly. It feels so surreal to be attached to this footnote in history.