#Claire Alford

[nevada983iw922]

[fashionlandscapeblog]

Hannah Alford photographed by Manolo Campion for Marie Claire Australia November 2024

[robins-den]

Ik I've been fully entranced by guilty gear but please keep in mind that Claire Alford is my number one and only forever. Strange insane world building by a man in love with rock music is temporary. The story of a woman loved so much she is not allowed to die who loves so much she is forced to die is forever.

[wanderervenom]

Should Black celebs shout out more Black-owned brands instead of 'mainstream' labels? - TheGrio

[gavinom123]

Oh sure Ashe, I’d love to switch rooms with you! Surely nothing wrong will happen, Sirius is just being silly :)

[prideknights]

Say Their Names

Day 1 of Tumblr’s #ActsOfPride campaign:

These are the black trans lives we have lost due to violence in the United States since 2009. Sadly, this is most likely not a complete list as many of the souls we have lost go unreported or were misgendered. They will not be forgotten.

Caprice Curry, 31 - Killed January 17, 2009 Jimmy McCollough, 34 - Killed April 14, 2009 Foxy Ivy, mid 30s - May 23, 2009 Christopher Jermaine Scott, 36 - Killed July 1, 2009 Beyonce (Eric) Lee, 21 - Killed July 26, 2009 Tyli’a Mack, 21 - Killed August 26, 2009 Dee Green, 25 - Killed October 26, 2009 Toni Alston, 44 - Killed April 3, 2010 Chanel (Dana A. Larkin), 26 - Killed May 7, 2010 Sandy Woulard, 28 - Killed June 21, 2010 Victoria Carmen White, 28 - Killed September 8, 2010 Stacey Lee aka Stacey Blahnik, 31 - Killed October 11, 2010 Tyra Trent, 25 - Killed February 19, 2011 Marcal Camero Tye, 25 - Killed March 8, 2011 Miss Nate Nate, 44 - Killed June 13, 2011 Lashai Mclean, 23 - Killed July 20, 2011 Shelley Hilliard, 19 - Killed October 23, 2011 Chassity Nathan Vickers, 32 - Killed November 17, 2011 Githe Goines, 23 - Killed December 29, 2011 Crain Conaway, 47 - Killed January 17, 2012 Deoni Jones, 23 - Killed February 2, 2012 Coko Williams, 35 - Killed April 4, 2012 Tyrell Jackson, 23 - Killed April 4, 2012 Paige Clay, 23 - Killed April 16, 2012 Brandy Martell, 37 - Killed April 29, 2012 Tracey Johnson, 40 - Killed July 5, 2012 Tiffany Gooden, 19 - Killed August 14, 2012 Dewayne “Deja” Jones, 33 - Killed August 26, 2012 Kendall Hampton, 26 - Killed August 29, 2012 Evon Young, 22 - Killed January 1, 2013 Cemia “CeCe” Dove, 23 - Killed March 27, 2013 Kelly Young, 29 - Killed April 3, 2013 Ashley Sinclair, 30 - Killed April 11, 2013 Fatima Woods, 53 - Killed May 30, 2013 Jock Maurice McKinney, 50 - Killed 12 July, 2013 Diamond Williams, 31 - Killed July 14, 2013 Domonique Newburn, 31 - Killed August 20, 2013 Islan Nettles, 21 - Killed August 20, 2013 Artegus Konyale Madden, 37 - Killed September 1, 2013 Terry Golston, 44 - Killed September 6, 2013 Eyricka Morgan, 26 - Killed September 24, 2013 Brittany Stergis, 22 - Killed December 5, 2013 Kandy Hall, 40 - Killed June 3, 2014 Yaz'min Shancez, 31 - Killed June 19, 2014 Tiffany Edwards, 28 - Killed June 26, 2014 Mia Henderson, 26 - Killed July 16, 2014 Aniya Parker, 47 - Killed October 3, 2014 Ashley Sherman, 25 - Killed October 27, 2014 Gizzy Fowler, 24 - Killed November 12, 2014 Lamar Edwards, 20  - Killed January 9, 2015 Lamia Beard, 30 - Killed January 17, 2015 Ty Underwood, 24  - Killed January 26, 2015 Yazmin Vash Payne, 33 - Killed January 31, 2015 Taja Gabrielle DeJesus, 36 - Killed February 1, 2015 Penny Proud, 21 - Killed February 10, 2015 Keyshia Blige, 33 - Killed March 7, 2015 London Chanel, 21 - Killed May 18, 2015 Ashton O’Hara, 25 - Killed July 14, 2015 India Clarke, 25 - Killed July 2, 2015 Shade Schuler, 22 - Killed July 29, 2015 Amber Monroe, 20 - Killed August 8, 2015 Kandis Capri, 35 - Killed August 11, 2015 Elisha Walker, 20 - Killed August 13, 2015 Kiesha Jenkins, 22 - Killed October 6, 2015 Zella Ziona, 21 - Killed October 15, 2015 Veronica Banks Cano, mid 30s - Killed February 19, 2016 Maya Young, 25 - Killed February 21, 2016 Demarkis Stansberry, 30 - Killed February 27, 2016 Kedarie Johnson, 16 - Killed March 2, 2016 Shante Isaac, 34 - Killed April 10, 2016 Keyonna Blakeney, 22 - Killed April 16, 2016 Tyreece Walker, 32 - Killed May 1, 2016 Mercedes Successful, 32 - Killed May 15, 2016 Goddess Diamond, 20 - Killed June 5, 2016 Deeniquia Dodds, 22 - Killed July 13, 2016 Dee Whigam, 25 - Killed July 23, 2016 Skye Mockabee, 26 - Killed July 30, 2016 Rae'Lynn Thomas, 28 - Killed August 10, 2016 T.T. Saffore, mid-20s, Killed September 11, 2016 Crystal Edmonds, 22 - Killed September 16, 2016 Jazz Alford, 30 - Killed September 23, 2016 Brandi Bledsoe, 32 - Killed October 12, 2016 Noony Norwood, 30 - Killed November 5, 2016 India Monroe, 29 - Killed December 21, 2016 Mesha Caldwell, 41 - Killed January 4, 2017 JoJo Striker, 23 - Killed February 8, 2017 Jaquarrius Holland, 18, - Killed February 19, 2017 Keke Collier, 24 - Killed February 21, 2017 Chyna Gibson, 31 - Killed February 25, 2017 Ciara McElveen, 21 - Killed February 27, 2017 Alphonza Watson, 38 -Killed March 22, 2017 Kenne McFadden, 27 - Killed April 9, 2017 Chay Reed, 28 - Killed April 21, 2017 Brenda Bostick, 59 - Killed April 25, 2017 Sherrell Faulkner, 46, Died May 16, 2017 Ava Le'Ray Barrin, 17 - Killed June 25, 2017 Ebony Morgan, 28 - Killed July 2, 2017 TeeTee Dangerfield, 32 - Killed July 31, 2017 Jaylow McGlory, 29 - Killed August 4, 2017 Kiwi Herring, 30 -Killed August 22, 2017 Kashmire Redd, 28 - Killed September 4, 2017 Derricka Banner, 26 - Killed September 12, 2017 Candace Towns, 30 - Killed October 31, 2017 Brooklyn BreYanna Stevenson, 31 - Killed November 27 2017 Brandi Seals, 26 - Killed December 13, 2017 Celine Walker, 36 - Killed February 4, 2018 Tonya Harvey, 35 - Killed February 6, 2018 Phylicia Mitchell, 46 - Killed February 23, 2018 Amia Tyrae, 28 - Killed March 28, 2018 Sasha Wall, 29 - Killed April 1, 2018 Nino Fortson, 36 - Killed May 13, 2018 Gigi Pierce, 28 - Killed May 21, 2018 Antash’a Devine Sherrington English, 38 - Killed June, 2018 Diamond Stephens, 39 - Killed June 18, 2018 Cathalina Christina James, 24 - Killed June 24, 2018 Keisha Wells, 50s - Killed June 24, 2018 Sasha Garden, 27 - Kille July 19, 2018 Vontashia Bell, 18 - Killed August 30, 2018 Dejanay Stanton, 24 - Killed August 30, 2018 Shantee Tucker, 30 - Killed September 5, 2018 Londonn Moore, 20 - Killed September 8, 2018 Ciara Minaj Carter, 31 - Killed October 3, 2018 Regina Denise Brown, 53 - Killed October 10, 2018 Tydi Dansbury, 37, Killed November 26, 2018 Keanna Mattel, 35 - Killed December 7, 2018 Dana Martin, 31 - Killed January 6, 2019 Jazzaline Ware, 34 - Killed March 25, 2019 Ashanti Carmon, 27, Killed March 30, 2019 Claire Legato, 21 - Killed April 15, 2019 Muhlaysia Booker, 23 - Killed May 18, 2019 Michelle “Tamika” Washington, 40 - Killed May 19, 2019 Paris Cameron, 20 - Killed May 25, 2019 Chynal Lindsey, 26 - Killed June 1, 2019 Chanel Scurlock, 23 - Killed June 5, 2019 Layleen Polanco, 27 - Killed June 7, 2019 Zoe Spears, 23 - Killed June 13, 2019 Brooklyn Lindsey, 32 - Killed June 25, 2019 Denali Berries Stuckey, 29 - Killed July 20, 2019 Kiki Fantroy, 21 - Killed July 31, 2019 Pebbles La Dime Doe, 24 - Killed August 4, 2019 Bubba Walker, 55 - Killed July 2019 Tracy Single, 22 - Killed July 30, 2019 Bee Love Slater, 23 - Killed September 1, 2019 Bailey Reeves, 17 - Killed September 2, 2019 Ja’Leyah-Jamar, 30 - Killed September 13, 2019 Itali Marlowe, 29 - Killed September 20, 2019 Brianna “BB” Hill, 30, Killed October 13, 2019 Yahira Nesby, 33 - Killed December 19, 2019 Monika Diamond, 34 - Killed March 18, 2020 Nina Pop, 28 - Killed May 3, 2020 Tony McDade, 38 - Killed May 27, 2020

All of them should still be here with us today.

Say their names.

[elizabethan-memes]

Hi! Do you have book suggestions? I've read PG's Other Boleyn Girl but Claire Ridgeway's video kind of counteracted that. I was going to pick up an Allison Weir book but now I'm finding she's not that much better than PG. Documentary recommendations would be awesome too (I hope I'm not bothering you, and if I am, I'm sorry!)

No problem!

Historical Fiction Is My Passion (TM) but yeah please assume it's made up until proven otherwise. Like I try and be as historically accurate as possible but I invent, simplify, tweak and exaggerate too.

Philippa Gregory does actually have some historical training but she's not the most discerning of analysts. She just can't resist the shiny allure of a tinfoil hat. Shiny!

Tudor Monastery Farm and Hidden Killers of the Tudor Home are enjoyable viewing. IIRC though, Hidden Killers does perpetuate the myth that Tudor rush floors were gross and disgusting.

I recommend The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family from last year, I did reviews of it on this blog.

I'm not the person to go to for Anne Boleyn book recommendations, but apparently Eric Ives' biography is the OG book to begin with, although other biographies have come out since- though they all begin with Ives.

When it comes to looking for a good history book and sorting the academic wheat from the popular chaff, I recommend Caroline Shenton's checklist. Link here

My Tudor book recommendations:

+ New worlds, Lost worlds by Susan Brigden. When I was a student this was the introductory book we were recommended, so I’m passing that recommendation on. Nothing but the best for my lovely followers!

+ The Sixteenth Century: 1485-1603 (Short Oxford History of the British Isles) edited by Patrick Collinson. 

+ How To Be A Tudor and How to Behave Badly in Renaissance Britain by Ruth Goodman

+ The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer (I do recommend reading this alongside Black Tudors as Black Tudors argues against Mortimer's conclusions on Tudor racism).

+ Black Tudors by Miranda Kaufmann

+ Thomas Cromwell: A Life by Diarmaid Macculloch. This is a big chonky book, don't ever drop it on your face.

+ History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years also by Macculloch. Not a Tudor history book, but it has a useful chapter on the Reformation.

+ Age of Reformation by Alec Ryrie. I found the first chapter, on Tudor church services, particularly immersive.

+ The Watchers by Stephen Alford. There are some truly weird people in this book. Not quack doctors or seers of visions weird, more like... antisocial dumbasses. Like the guy who’s like ‘my boss died of syphilis’ like my guy how is that a sensible thing to voice. What was the point of saying that. Welcome to Clownsville.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

It's Not The Wind!

It's "Colonel Bogey march”

A traveller in episode 5 of season 6 of Outlander, whistling the jaunty Colonel Bogey British military march. Only a time traveller – like Claire, Roger and Bree – could know a tune that was written nearly 150 years in the future. Claire instantly recognized the tune as its origins can be traced back to the 20th century.

The person whistling the tune must have been alive in 1914 at the earliest to know of its existence, meaning the person whistling the song is most likely a time traveller and Claire knew it.

The first thing to know about Colonel Bogey is that there was no Colonel Bogey. Not a real one, at any rate. The name "Colonel Bogey" began in the late 19th century as the imaginary "standard opponent" of the Colonel Bogey scoring system, and by Edwardian times the Colonel had been adopted by the golfing world as the presiding spirit of the course. So it was, originally, the measure of a well-played round of golf.

Golfers of the time thought that they were playing against "Mister Bogey" when measuring themselves against the bogey score. All Club members had a military rank, and they felt they could not measure themselves against a "Mister" Bogey or have him as a member. So they gave him the honorary rank of Colonel, and "Colonel Bogey" was born.

In 1914, an ex-military man and keen golfer, apparently nicknamed Colonel Bogey (after the golfing term for a one-above-par round) was out on the golf course and whistled two notes – a descending minor third interval.

“Colonel Bogey March” was written in 1914 by a British army bandmaster, Lt. F. J. Frederick Joseph Ricketts (Under the pen name Kenneth J. Alford) director of music for the Royal Marines at Plymouth, and inspired him to compose the now-famous tune and is sometimes wrongly credited as "River Kwai March".

A few weeks before the start of World War I, the 2nd Battalion of the Argylls and the Band was stationed at Fort George in North-East Scotland, nine miles from Inverness. It was here that Ricketts composed his most famous march, "Colonel Bogey".

“The Bridge on the River Kwai” dramatised the WWII story of the Thailand-Burma Railway, yet it was largely fictional. Over 65,000 Allied P.O.W.s battled torture, starvation, and disease to hack the 255-mile railway out of the harsh jungle for the Japanese.

"Colonel Bogey” march was first heard on film when Alfred Hitchcock included it in The Lady Vanishes in 1938. The 1961 film The Parent Trap, and 1985's The Breakfast Club remain popular today.

However, the piece's most famous cinematic outing was during David Lean's classic “Bridge Over the River Kwai” whistled by the POWs as they enter the Japanese prison camp. Original Soundtrack Theme of the film the British composer Sir Malcolm Arnold won an Academy Award and a Grammy for his score for The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957).

The song entered the public domain in 2015, 70 years after the death of the composer F. J. Rickets, as is the copyright duration for musical works. This means the song is now free to use, edit, adapt and reproduce.

[letswritefuriously]

Ember that Remains

After a traumatic event at her last school, Ember Miller and her friends, Veda and Rei have started at ‘Chrysalis High*’ for their final years in high school. But Ember has a secret; she has a superpower. She has been offered a place in a secret society that offers to train her to be a true superhero. But all is not as simple as it seems; something is amiss, and Ember isn’t sure if it’s her or the people around her, and to find out, she’s going to have to face the events in her past.

*I’m deciding whether that’s a filler name or not based on everyone’s reactions to it

HMU if you want tp be tagged!

Details

-YA superhero novel with a twist

-3/7 POC main characters

-5/7 LGBT main characters

Links

Chapters:

Excerpts: Caleb Doesn’t Straight, Ember You Thief

Character Info: Caleb

Other:

Playlist

1. This is Gospel - Panic! at the Disco

2. Golden Days - Panic! at the Disco

3. Trndsttr [Lucian Remix] - Black Coast

4. Crazy = Genius - Panic! at the Disco

4. King of the Clouds - Panic! at the Disco

5. I Don’t Love You - The Black Parade

6. Favourite Records - Fallout Boy

7. Immortals - Fallout Boy

8. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen

9. Hallelujah - Panic! at the Disco

10. Famous Last Words - The Black Parade

11. It’s Only - ODESZA

12. Say Amen - Panic! at the Disco

13. Machine - Imagine Dragons

14. The Kids Aren’t Alright - Fallout Boy

15. Far too Young to Die - Panic! at the Disco

16. You’re not Coming Home - The Swamp Dandies

Characters after the cut

Characters

Name: Ember Miller

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Description: Medium height, half Aboriginal Australian, moderately dark skin, short chocolate brown hair that’s shorter on one side from an undercut she’s growing out, red and blue highlights, brown eyes

Personality: Mostly calm and collected but quick to anger, laid back rebel, extremely shy in a way that comes off as mysterious, stubborn, thoughtful

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Girl’s Uniform (white shirt, blue tie, green jumper, blue skirt, black shoes) or singlets, ripped jeans or denim shorts, sometimes leather jacket, choker necklace.

Powers: Can breathe fire

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Name: Rae Ackins

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Description: Very short, Japanese Philippine, looks like a goddamn supermodel, dark skin, brown eyes, long, silky black hair

Personality: Thoughtful and artistic, smiles often (although true smiles are hard to come by), is surprisingly sarcastic when you get to know her, clever, insecure

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Girl’s Uniform (see above), or midriff tops, sweaters, mini-skirts

Powers: Can control the weather (to an extent)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Name: Veda de Liese

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Lesbian

Description: Extremely extremely white (Icelandic), medium height, long platinum blonde hair, sky blue eyes

Personality: Outgoing and extroverted, control freak, the joker of the group, the jealous type, courageous

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Girl’s Uniform (see above), or fashionable skirts and dresses, see-through tops or midriff tops

Powers: None

Alignment: True Neutral

Name: Felix Van Haar

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Description: Tall, very white (not as white as Veda), Dutch, short ash blond hair, green eyes

Personality: Funny, charismatic, the glue that holds the group together, physically fit, figure skater

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Boy’s Uniform (white shirts, blue ties, blue shorts, green jumpers) or t-shirts, jeans or shorts, hoodies, sometimes eyeliner, doesn’t mind wearing make-up

Powers: Anti-gravity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Name: Caleb Alford

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Gay

Description: Medium height, Caucasian, chestnut brown hair, hazel eyes, freckles

Personality: Slightly sour and sarcastic but in the lovable way, trash talker, extremely emotionally intelligent, abundance of gay jokes, figure skater

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Boy’s Uniform (see above) or t-shirts and cargo pants

Powers: Creates illusions, ultra violet vision

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Name: Claire

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Straight

Description: Medium height, Caucasian, long butterscotch brown hair, blue eyes

Personality: World’s biggest cinnamon roll, all the uwus, loyal, will do anything for a friend, ‘hey!’ but doesn’t mind being teased, cooperative, good at negotiations, actually a really good leader, has a friendship necklace for every person she’s met more than once, turns out to be the most badass person you’ve ever met

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Girl’s Uniform (see above), or cute tops and booty shorts, shell necklaces

Powers: Can move things without touching them (telekinesis)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Name: Lionel (Lion) Cohen

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Straight

Description: Half African American, tall, dark skin, dark brown-black hair, brown eyes

Personality: Kind, good natured, slow-moving, autistic

Clothes: Chrysalis High Senior Boy’s Uniform (see above), or jeans and t-shirts, flannels, sports jackets

Powers: Can animate shadows

Alignment: Lawful Good

[chrancecriber]

Radio NET Bulgaria (December 04, 2022)

23:56 JESSY J - Spanish Nights 23:51 SERGIO SALVATORE - (There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays 23:47 BROOK ALFORD - Empire State of Mind 23:42 JOYCE COOLING - Jelly on My Jacket 23:37 DOMINIC CAMARDELLA - I Long 4U 23:32 DR. SAXLOVE - Away In A Manger 23:28 CHRIS STANDRING - Snowfall 23:24 CHRIS GODBER - Energy 23:20 JAY KING - Baby Lets Dance Tonight 23:14 MARCUS ANDERSON - White Christmas 23:10 RICHARD ELLIOT - Walk With Me 23:05 DEMETRIUS NABORS - Sensuality 23:00 3RD FORCE - Carry On 22:59 MENZI - Aufbruch 22:54 GUENTER HAAS - Secret Diary 22:48 MICHAEL E - Close to You 22:43 CIARA, JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - Love Sex Magic (Chillout Mix) 22:37 JOSEPHINE SINCLAR - Paradise Deluxe 22:33 ATB, TIFF LACEY - Missing 22:27 351 LAKE SHORE DRIVE - Seabeam 22:23 E ONE, ARUNA - Still Holding On (Aruna vs. Conjure One Chill Mix Lounge Edit) 22:20 KRONO, VANJESS - Redlight (Original Mix) 22:16 KRONO, CIMO FRANKEL - Sweet Goodbye 22:09 LERRY MULLER, ANETTA GRANT - Dreaming (Original) 22:04 DASH BERLIN - Listen To Your Heart (Acoustic Mix) 22:00 FRAINBREEZE, ANGEL FALLS - I'll Be There (Original Mix) 21:54 ROAN PORTMAN - In Faith We Trust 21:50 ALEXANDER POPOV - The Last He Said (Original Mix) 21:47 SIRENS OF LESBOS - I Got New Feelings (Pablo Nouvelle Remix) 21:42 DJ SHAH, ADRINA THORPE - Who Will Find Me (Acoustic Version) 21:37 ASHENI - Only Magic (Chris Wonderful Remix) 21:33 MISS B.T. - Right Now (Sweet Lovin' Edit) 21:28 ATB - Let U Go (Schiller Remix) 21:23 CONJURE ONE - Sleep 21:19 SWEET EUPHONY - After We Close Our Eyes (Chillout Version) 21:15 DJ CHART, DOBA, PRINCESS LARISSA - Danger Games 21:13 ATB. FLANDERS - Behind (ATB's Ambient Version) 21:07 BARCLAY & CREAM - You're Not Alone (Alexander Metzger Mix) 21:02 VIVIAN LACOSTE - Clair Del Mar 20:59 VITO FOGNINI, CARI - True To Myself (Original Mix) 20:54 ANDY MOOR, ASHLEY WALLBRIDGE, GABRIELA - World To Turn 20:49 ANGELO CRESCERI - Harmony 20:45 GUSHI, RAFFUNK - Travel (Lemongrass Couch Remix) 20:42 GORDON GECO - Fade In Away 20:37 EMMA HEWITT - Foolish Boy (Zetandel Chill Out Mix) 20:31 BEN GOLD, SENADEE - Today (Chilled Datt Remix) 20:27 LEMONGRASS, JANE MAXIMOVA - Frozen Boy 20:21 STAN CROWN - Not Invented Love (Original Mix) 20:17 SARAH MENESCAL - Don't Speak 20:15 CNBK - Burning Skies (Acoustic Version) 20:09 MICHAEL E - That Night Last Summer 20:04 SANGRE DE LA TIERRA - Antigua 20:00 ALY & FILA, JWAYDAN - We Control The Sunlight (Chill Out Mix) 19:57 CERF, MITISKA & JAREN, RANK 1 - Witness (Acoustic Mix) 19:52 351 LAKE SHORE DRIVE - Summernights 19:46 GREEN POINT ORCHESTRA - Miriam Dub 19:41 BLANK & JONES, CATHY BATTISTESSA - Miracle Man (Afterlife Remix) 19:38 ADELE - Chasing Pavements 19:32 20SABANCI - As Faces Fade (Domenico Cascarino & Luca Lombardi Chill Out Remix) 19:27 THOMAS LEMMER - Through My Father's Eyes 19:22 CHICANE - No Ordinary Morning (Original Mix) 19:17 BENNY BENASSI - Illusion (Taras Bazeev Chillout Remix) 19:13 ABOVE & BEYOND - No One On Earth 19:07 RAZ MITZAN, MOYA BRENNAN - Find The Sun (Original Mix) 19:02 SUNLOUNGER, ZARA TAYLOR - Try To Be Love (Chill Out Mix) 18:57 SEBA - Painted Sky (Imagine Chill Out Remix) 18:53 ATB & TILSEN - Faith (Original Mix) 18:48 THE DO - Too Insistent (Trentemoller Remix) 18:43 RUE DU SOLEIL - In My Heart 18:38 DJ GROOVE - So Late 18:35 TOUCH & GO - Straight To...Number One (Dreamcatcher Mix) 18:29 AQUASCAPE - Sunrise 18:25 MOONY - Dove (I'll Be Loving You) (Sisco Lounge Mix) 18:21 ANDY MOOR, ASHLEY WALLBRIDGE, GABRIELA - World To Turn (Original Mix) 18:15 JES - Like A Waterfall (Flipside Ambient Remix) 18:11 ROBERT NICKSON - Spiral (Chillout Mix) 18:04 LA NUIT DEL MAR - Everybody (Luxury Lounge Cafe Mix) 17:59 CHRIS B, LADY V - A New Direction (Original Mix) 17:55 EVANESCENCE - My Immortal (Acoustic Version) 17:50 ABOVE & BEYOND, OCEANLAB - I Am What I Am (Original Mix) 17:46 SARAH BRIGHTMAN - Beautiful 17:41 SUE MCLAREN - Haunted (Zetandel Chill Out Remix) 17:35 LOUNGE DELUXE - Beautiful Man feat. Jeela (Sunset Session Edit) 17:32 MASHTI, JEAN VON BADEN - Waiting 17:27 JEAN HONEYMOON - Bang Bang (Lazy Hammock Chillout Remix) 17:22 DINKA - Magnolia (Original Mix) 17:16 LOREEN - Euphoria (Cool Bill Seaside Mix) 17:12 351 LAKE SHORE DRIVE - Rising Stars 17:07 JENS BUCHERT - Polaris (JB feat. Shine) 17:03 YANNI - Can't Wait 17:00 C.CIL - Sunset 16:56 RICK HABANA - Lady Luck 16:52 MARK ETHEREDGE - Golden Hour 16:48 THREESTYLE - Our Christmas (feat. Magdalena Chovancova & Robert Fertl) 16:44 VINCENT INGALA - Can't Stop The Rain From Falling 16:38 RAGAN WHITESIDE - 3am 16:34 STIX BONES - The Beginning 16:31 NILS - Jazz Cruise 16:26 JEANETTE HARRIS - Thankful (feat. Joel Bowers) 16:21 DAVE KOZ - My Grown Up Christmas List (feat. Heather Headley) 16:17 BEN TANKARD - Rise! 16:13 GTF - Spanish Steps 16:09 JAZZ IN PINK - Roll Out 16:04 CHRIS STANDRING - Hypnotize 16:00 KIM SCOTT - Laelia (feat. Jonathan Butler) 15:56 JESSY J - Running Away 15:51 GTF - Autumn Rain 15:49 SYLVIA BENNETT - Wrap You Up For Christmas 15:45 MARCUS ANDERSON - Just A Taste 15:41 ALEXANDER ZONJIC - Jazz Cafe 15:37 EDGARDO CINTRON - Together Again 15:33 MEZZOFORTE - High Season 15:28 GREGG KARUKAS - Manhattan 15:23 MICHAEL ROSS - On the Beach with You 15:19 CAROL NETHEN - Angels We Have Heard on High 15:15 LEBRON - Issa Party 15:11 RANDY SCOTT - Affection 15:06 WARREN HILL - La Dolce Vita 15:00 EUGE GROOVE - Too Cool 14:56 JIM ADKINS - Come a Little Closer 14:53 WALTER BEASLEY - Be Thankful 14:48 RHYTHM JETS - The Christmas Song 14:43 WAYMAN TISDALE - Conversation Piece (feat. Bob James) 14:40 PETER WHITE - Lost In Your Eyes 14:35 BRIAN BROMBERG - Never Give Up 14:31 JONATHAN FRITZEN - Celebration 14:26 ZOLBERT - Budapest 14:22 DANA FIELDS - O Come, O Come Emmanuel 14:16 NICHOLAS COLE - A Journey of One 14:12 THE SMOOTH JAZZ ALLEY - Tidal 14:09 DOCTOR X - Pop Quiz 14:05 VINCENT INGALA - Gimme Some 14:00 DREAMING IN COLOUR - Percolator 13:58 DAVE VALENTIN - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town 13:54 RICHARD ELLIOT - Seven Sacred Pools 13:49 J. WHITE - Just Ride 13:45 BROOKE ALFORD, MARCUS ANDERSON - The First Noel (In the Sun) 13:41 JEANETTE HARRIS - All I Do 13:36 BLUEY - You Are the One 13:32 JESSY J - Tropical Rain 13:29 DAVID BROUSSARD - Stardust 13:25 CHAZZY GREEN - Let's Go Home 13:22 DAVE KOZ - Beneath The Moonlit Sky 13:17 ANDRE CAVOR - Heaven 13:13 SAM BASSMAN JENKINS - Feel So Good 13:07 MARCUS ANDERSON - I Surrender All 13:04 ROBERT CHRISTA - Casa Romantica 13:00 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Ridin' High 12:56 YULARA - Shakti Dance 12:51 CRAIG SHARMAT - The Back Nine 12:48 ART FOUR SALE - Feliz Navidad 12:43 JOYCE COOLING - Before Dawn 12:38 SOFT JAZZ SEXY MUSIC BAND - Leonardo's Saxophone 12:34 KEN NAVARRO - By My Side 12:30 MARK JAIMES - Midnight Rendezvous 12:25 BOBBY LYLE - Nujazzy (feat. Nathan East) 12:21 HANK BILAL - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (feat. Althea Rene) 12:17 BRIAN CULBERTSON - You're Magic 12:13 RAINFOREST BAND - Windows of Time 12:09 NICK COLIONNE - Spend the Night (extended vocals) 12:04 PETER WHITE - Joyride 12:00 JEFF RYAN - Sweet Spot 11:57 JAEE LOGAN - Portrait of Patrice 11:54 BOBBY WELLS - My Sweet Butterfly 11:49 TONY G COPELAND, CORY JAMES - Winter Wonderland (feat. Cory James) 11:46 OLI SILK - the Limit's the Sky 11:42 WALTER BEASLEY - Expressway 11:37 AMANDUS - Chrome Improvement 11:32 ROBERTO RESTUCCIA - That's It For Tonight 11:28 ROB TARDIK - You Know What I Mean 11:24 DANA FIELDS - Togetherness 11:19 MARC ANTOINE - Marco Polo 11:14 GREGG KARUKAS - Always 11:09 RICHARD ELLIOT - Corner Pocket 11:05 DEE LUCAS - Full Tilt (feat. Blake Aaron) 11:00 JAY KING - Your Way 10:56 PAULA ATHERTON - Can You Feel It 10:51 DARRYL WILLIAMS - Reflections 10:47 NILS - Waiting on Hold 10:44 SMOOTH SOUL HOLIDAY - Silent Night 10:39 ZOLBERT - Julia 10:35 KIM WATERS - In The Fast Lane 10:31 MARCUS ANDERSON - Let The Praise 10:27 PAUL HARDCASTLE - Echoes Rising 10:22 NELSON RANGELL - The Gathering 10:19 DAVE KOZ - Another Silent Night (feat. Richard Marx) 10:16 JACKIEM JOYNER - Say I Do 10:11 MADOCA - On The Beach (With You) 10:07 JOYCE COOLING - Take Me There 10:03 KENNY PORE - Treasure Coast 10:00 SONNY EMORY - You Don't Have to Cry 09:56 LES SABLER - City Rhythm 09:52 J. WHITE - Another Day Another Groove 09:47 DAVID PETROSYAN - Christmas Eve 09:43 JEFF LORBER FUSION - Memorex 09:39 DEON YATES - Wiseguys 09:34 THE SAX PACK - Are You Ready 09:30 CHRIS GODBER - Rain 09:26 GERRY SMOOTH - Lazy Day 09:22 TONY LINDSAY - Merry Christmas 09:17 GABRIEL MARK HASSELBACH - Heading North 09:12 EUGE GROOVE - Just My Imagination 09:08 RONNY SMITH - Just Groovin 09:04 ERIC MARIENTHAL - Times Square 09:00 RONALD BOO HINKSON - Second Look 08:56 JIM ADKINS - Straight Ahead 08:53 LOUIE FITZGERALD - Rejoice 08:49 ELY BRUNA - All I Want for Christmas Is You 08:45 NORMAN BROWN - That's The Way Love Goes 08:41 MICHAEL LEMMO - Island Runner 08:36 GARY MEEK - Monterey Groove 08:31 GINO ROSARIA - Funkin' 08:25 RHYTHM LOGIC - From the Hip 08:22 DANA FIELDS - My Favorite Things 08:17 JEFF RYAN - J-Factor 08:13 JESSY J - Soul Kisses (feat. Gregg Karukas) 08:09 LOUIE FITZGERALD - My Heart Beats for You 08:04 DONALD HAYES - Riverside Drive 08:00 WILL DONATO - Everlasting 07:56 OLI SILK - Seventh Heaven 07:52 DAN SIEGEL - Street Talk 07:48 TIM BOWMAN - Wanda Patrice 07:45 JEANETTE HARRIS - Let It Snow 07:40 LISA ADDEO - Stay With Me Tonight 07:36 PAUL BROWN - What About Bob 07:32 JEREMY HECTOR - Islander 07:28 MARK ETHEREDGE - Connected (Feat. Paul Brown) 07:25 JAY KING - I Once Had Your Love 07:22 HARPER, GUS AND GOMEZ - Christmas Time 07:17 GERALD ALBRIGHT - So Amazing 07:13 MARQUEAL JORDAN - Sistas (feat. Brian Culbertson) 07:08 EARL KLUGH - Doin' It 07:03 DAVID PETROSYAN - Midnight Groove 07:00 PETER HEROLD - Soul Spa 06:56 PETER WHITE - Bittersweet 06:50 EUGE GROOVE - S7ven Large 06:47 ANDRE DELANO - Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella 06:43 2UNES - All I Need Is You 06:38 A Sultry Summers Night (feat. Greg Minnick, Ignacio Nunez & Dean Rickard) 06:34 EUGE GROOVE - Hey Boo 06:30 JOYCE COOLING - Coasting 06:26 NOTEWORTHY BAND - Sweet Breeze 06:22 NATHAN WOODWARD - Angels We Have Heard 06:18 VINCENT INGALA - Just Imagine 06:13 RYAN LA VALETTE - Closer To You 06:09 NORMAN BROWN - Night Drive 06:04 MEZZOFORTE - Quarter Latin 06:00 BRIAN CULBERTSON - It's Time 05:56 DONN BYNUM - Our Turn to Dance (feat. Paul Jackson Jr.) 05:50 JEFFERY SMITH - Southern Style 05:46 PEGGY DUQUESNEL - I Wonder as I Wander 05:41 KENNY NIGHTINGALE - Coltrane to Montgomery 05:37 JEFF KASHIWA - Let It Ride 05:33 KEN NAVARRO - Into The Light 05:29 LEBRON - Green Light 05:25 RICK HABANA - Set Sail 05:21 JAY ROWE - The First Noel 05:17 NATE WHITE - Feels Like Love 05:13 TIM BOWMAN - Smile 05:08 RICHARD ELLIOT - Moon Gazer 05:04 BIRDS OF A FEATHER - Moonlight Drive 05:00 PAUL BROWN - Foreign Exchange 04:57 RICK HABANA - Island Hopping 04:53 VINCENT INGALA - Baby I'm Hooked (Right Into Your Love) 04:48 BROOKE ALFORD - The Christmas Song (By the Fireside) 04:44 MARCUS ANDERSON - Coffee Cocktails 04:40 STEVE OLIVER - Let it Go 04:36 CHAZZY GREEN - Work 2 Do 04:31 RAGAN WHITESIDE - Call Me (vocal) 04:27 BOBBY WELLS - She's Playful - Pandora View 04:22 NEAL DAVIS - Silent Night 04:17 THREESTYLE - Prime Time (feat. Magdalena Chovancova & Robert Fertl) 04:12 PETER WHITE - Mission 2 Mars 04:08 BONEY JAMES - Solid 04:04 RONALD BOO HINKSON - Making It Easy 04:00 DAN SIEGEL - A World Away 03:56 JACKIEM JOYNER - Born to Fly 03:51 NICK COLIONNE - Whatcha Gonna Do 03:48 ARIEL B - The Christmas Song 03:43 PETER HEROLD - Something About The Name Jesus 03:39 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Flowin' with It 03:35 ART RUPRECHT - Down Time 03:31 JIM ADKINS - Get Over It 03:27 NILS - Play It 03:23 BRIAN CULBERTSON - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer 03:18 EUGE GROOVE - Belle Mania 03:14 BALANCE9 - 110 at Night 03:09 ROB TARDIK - Smoothy (feat. Davor Jordanovski) 03:04 KEITH MASON - He's Holy 03:00 VANN BURCHFIELD - I'm Holding On 02:55 KAYLA WATERS - Lil' Mustard Seed 02:52 MARK JAIMES - ABC 02:47 JAY ROWE - Jingle Bells 02:43 NICHOLAS COLE - Secrets (Remix) 02:39 MEZZOFORTE - Later On 02:34 RICHARD ELLIOT - Moomba 02:30 VINCENT INGALA - Feng Sway 02:26 QUINTIN GERARD W. - Air Beneath Your Wings 02:22 JOHNNY JOHNSON - Silver Bells 02:17 TONY SAUNDERS - Speak to My Heart 02:12 SPECIAL EFX - Dance on the Delta 02:08 ADAM HAWLEY - Just Dance (Feat. Dave Koz) 02:04 STEVE OLIVER - Chips And Salsa 02:00 MEKIEL REUBEN - Another Sunday 01:55 J. WHITE - 90's Kinda Love 01:52 PHILLIP DOC MARTIN - Pocket Love 01:48 BROOKE ALFORD - Greensleeves (A Dance Celebration) 01:43 R.L. WALKER - Just a Feeling 01:40 THREESTYLE - From the Coast 01:36 PETER WHITE - Windy City 01:31 JAY KING - Soulful Bossa Nova 01:26 JOY RIDE - Trade Winds 01:22 GIORGIA PAPASIDERO - Oh Happy Day 01:17 STEVE WATSON - Happy Evenings 01:13 CHRIS STANDRING - Fat Tuesday 01:07 JEFFERY SMITH - Visions of Love 01:04 BE'NE MUSIC - Just You Just Me 01:00 BALANCE9 - Sway 00:55 NILS - Call Me 00:51 JAREZ - Driving Force (feat. Willie Bradley) 00:47 BRADLEY LEIGHTON - The First Noel 00:42 EUGE GROOVE - A Summer's Nights Dream 00:38 LEBRON - The Late Hour 00:34 FREDDIE FOX - No U Turn 00:30 ROB TARDIK - Always There (feat. Phil Denny) 00:26 UNDER THE LAKE - Lazy Saturday 00:22 JAREZ - Santa Claus Is Coming to Town 00:18 NAJEE - Happiness (A Felicidade) 00:14 ADAM HAWLEY - Just A Friend Of Mine 00:10 TOM BRAXTON - Sharon's Groove 00:05 NORTH 2UNES WOODALL - Hip Hug-her

[nsula]

President’s List Fall 2018

NATCHITOCHES – Six hundred and fifty-four students were named to the Fall 2018 President’s List at Northwestern State University. Students on the list earned a grade point average of 4.0. Those named to the President’s List listed by hometown are as follows.

 Abbeville – Annemarie Broussard, Heather Mayard;

 Alexandria – Eric Weinzettle, Brandi Beaudoin, Leslie Bordelon, Claudia Gauthier, Ian Grant, Angela Hardin, Martha Hopewell, Jaliyah Jasper, Kasey Lacombe, Hunter Lewis, DeShonta Manning, Allison McCloud, Jalyn Mvcneal, Madeline Mitchell, Jennifer Prevot, Jabari Reed, Sailor Reed, Shacora Simpson, Kayla Whittington;                            

 Anacoco -- Nicole Fitzgerald, Brittany Lewis, Caitlin McKee, Cassandra Osborne, Seth Ponthieux, Casey Williams, Megan Williams;

 Anchorage – Sydney Bulot;

 Arcadia – Antavious Roberson, Ralyn Simpson;

 Arnaudville -- Zachary Leboeuf, Alayna Moreau, Misti Richard;

Ashland – Victoria Roderick;

Baker – Katelyn Kennedy;

 Ball – Nickolas Juneau, Joseph Reynolds;

 Barksdale, AFB – Kimberly Ventura Gonzalez;                  

 Basile – Adam Elkins;

 Bastrop – Nikkia Lewis;

 Baton Rouge – Meagan Barbay, Diamanisha Betts, Madison Harris, Hannah Knoff, Jordan Lancaster, Tremia Lockett, Henrietta Mercer, Daniel Midyett, Emma Rivet, Victoria Simmons;                              

 Belcher – Sierra Lang;

 Belgrade, Serbia -- Emilija Dancetovic;

 Belmont – Kelly Bass;

 Benton – Victoria Berry, Tamara Korner, Bridget Miller, Jessica O’Neal, Finnley Plaster, Comis Waddell, Kathryn Watts;

 Bienville – Julie Martin;

 Boise, Idaho – Jessica Anderson;

 Bossier City – Maddison Abreo, Jayde Barnett, Brittany Batchelor, Hannah Brooks, Kendall Caple, Izabela Carabelli, Callie Crockett, Peyton Davis, Hannah Gates, Joshua Greer, Jada Grigsby, Peyton Harville, Caylin Head, Savanna Head, Nicholas Hopkins, Kijah Johnson, Brandon Larkin, Chelsea Laverdiere, April Lebick, Katherine Parson, Colby Ponder, Taylor Powell, Jade Reich, Jami Rivers, Jalyn Robertson, Reid Rogers, Madison Rowland, Donna Spurgeon, Savannah Stevens, James Taylor, Kaitlyn Walker, Eric Zheng;

 Boutte – Samantha Vernor;

 Boyce – Katelyn Brister, Dylan Frazier, Sonya Hill;

 Breaux Bridge – Beyonkan Heine, Emily Roy;

 Broussard – Dylan Dunford;

 Brownsville, Texas – Emily Saldivar;

 Brussels – Leyla Fettweis;

 Bunkie – Emily Arnaud,

 Burleson, Texas -- Addison Pellegrino, Cassandra Smith;

 Calhoun – Grace Cummings, Robert Mccandlish;

 Calvin – Erin Price;

 Campti – Alisha Bedgood, Rebekah Cole, Madelynne Greer;

Carencro – Melody Woodard;

 Carrollton, Texas – Victoria Miller;

 Cartagena, Colombia – Aura Hernandez Canedo, Jorge Ojeda Munoz, Hassik Vasquez Narvaez;

Cheneyville -- Katelyn Baronne;

 Clarence – Jalicia Small;

 Clifton – Brittany Shackleford;

 Colfax – Alyssa Coleman, Lessie Rushing, Elizabeth Slayter, Morgan Vandegevel;

 Conroe, Texas – Sidney Salmans;

 Converse – Shayna Brown, Hayley Farmer, Wade Hicks, Mallory Mitchell, Hannah Womack, Logan Woodward;

Cotton Valley -- Nicholas Smith;

 Coushatta – Sydney Anderson, Kaylee Antilley, Debra Hanson, Jon Hester, Mary James, Cynthia Lawson, Baley McAlexander, Precious Smith;

 Covington -- Henri Blanchat, Justin Brogdon, Rachael Coyne, Sarah Shiflett;

 Crowley -- Ma'Kayleen Milson;

 Custer, South Dakota – China Whitwer;

 Cypress, Texas – Alexis Warren;

Dakota Dunes, South Dakota – Eryn Sandwell;

 Denham Springs – Joni Burlew;

DeRidder – Delia Amadiz, Lauren Callis, Tabitha Deer, Colten Denning, Falon Drake, Rebekah Frantz, Shydae Hammond, Karli Kennedy, Briana March, Brittney March, Shayla Miller, Jessica Mullican, Hannah Plummer, Rebecca Richmond, Cheyenne Vander, Michael Waryas;

 Des Allemands – Emily Blanchard, Claire Schouest;

 Destrehan – Hannah Boquet, Stephanie Webre;

 Deville – Briana Ashley, Allison Deglandon, Amber Kreideweis, Aubree Lampert, Kenedy Lampert, Madison Lejeune, Maci Mayeux, Caleb Rhodes;

 Diamondhead, Mississippi – Melissa Boyanton;

 Dodson – Rachel Broomfield;

 Doyline – Lucas Darbonne;

 Dry Prong – Jared Boydstun, Ashlee Elliott;

 Edmond, Oklahoma – Payton Hartwick, Ashley Medawattage;

 El Paso, Texas – Christopher Barron;

 Elizabeth – Amanda Cloud, Sadie Perkins;

 Elton – Kayla Bellard;

 Endicott, New York – Tonya Rackett;

 Evergreen – Walter Armand;

 Falfurrias, Texas – Marco Arevalo;

 Farmerville – Malissa Loyd;

 Florien – Shayla Duhon, Amber Lewing, Caroline Matthews, Dylan Roberts, Jordan Weldon;

Folson – Shaylee Laird, Sarah Moore;

 Forest Hill – Rafael Sierra;

 Forney, Texas – Jobey Rusk, Jared Walker, Jayden Wheeler;

 Fort Polk – Brittany Chadwick, Kyley Cole, Shaunda Gordon, Miranda Illsley, Cynthia Schwartz, Sasha Trevino, Cherie Martel;

 Fort Worth, Texas – Corban James;

 Franklin – Emily Kutchenriter;

 Franklinton – Crystal Newman;

 Frisco, Texas – Caroline Shepherd;

 Garland, Texas – Sierra Stone;

Glenmora – Alan Crowder, Reagan Humphries, Melissa Lanier, Faith Lawrence;

 Goldonna – David Day, Harley Godwin;

 Gonzales – Rebecca Marchand, Nicole Moody, Molly Moran, Bailee Ramey, Denee Smith;

 Grand Prairie, Texas – Clayton Casner;

 Grapevine, Texas – Margaret Black;

 Greenwell Springs -- Cheramie Kravitz;

Greenwood -- Char'Tarian Wilson;

 Gretna – Nadia Johnson;

 Haughton – Luther Cain, Jessica Chase, Brittony Cole, Randi Corley, Bethanie Couch, Alexis Hoeltje, Victoria Lodrini, Savanah Molina, Amber Simmons, Heather Wooden, Dawn Young;

 Heath, Texas – Megan Lohmiller;

 Henderson, Texas – John Floyd, Emily Ortiz;

 Hermon, Maine -- Allessa Ingraham-Albert;

 Hessmer – Ryan Armand, Lacee-Beth Cazelot;

Hineston – Gabrielle Merchant Langley, Tylee Stokes;

 Hope Mills, North Carolina -- Taylor Camidge;                          

 Hornbeck – Brandy Alford, Lane Alford, Kimberly Runyon;

 Houma – Alexis Dardar, Billy Gorr, Sarah Lajaunie, Corinne Paris;

Houston, Texas – Kendall Westfall;

 Humble, Texas – Aiyana Bean;

 Huntington, Texas – Travis Carrell;

 Iowa – Keiona Guy, Matthew Phillips;

 Irving, Texas – Darria Williams;

 Jacksonville Beach, Floria – Katherine Medlin;

 Jefferson – Jaleia Parker;

 Jena – Christian Aymond, Alanna Hailey;

 Jennings – Aimee Boothe, Alyson Brown, Janee Charles, Rachel Edwards, Rachelle Edwards, Wesley Simien, Lydia Williams;

 Jonesboro – Jordan Winston;

 Kaplan – Gabriel LeMoine;

 Katy, Texas – Erik Carver;

Keithville – John-David May, Cora Procell, Janae Richardson, Joanna Sims;

 Kenner -- Brooke Petkovich, Parul Sharma;

 Kentwood – Jenna Morris;

Kileen, Texas - Temitope Buraimoh, Arlyn Johnson;

 Kinder -- Jonathon Villareal;

 Lacombe – William Simpson;

Lafayette -- Jeffrey Blossom, Abbey Broussard, Luke Dupre, Michael Joseph, Emilee Leger, Robert Middleton, Andrea Saelios, Dante Saelios, Forest Strang;                            

 Lake Charles – Jovan Avery, Abigail Brady, Shawn Becton, Ashtyn Heap, Amanda Mustian, Sarah Sargent;

 Larose – Eric Bourg;

 Las Vegas, Nevada – April Ficarrotta;

 Lawtell – Karoline Guidry;                            

 Lecompte – Hannah Glaze;

 Leesville – Sara Bishop, Autumn Boggs, Anthony Cantrell, Raven Collins, Carter Coriell, Junette Cutshaw, Cameron Davis, Chloe Dowden, Sarah Gibbs-Jarrell, Geoffrey Goins, Jessica Gray, Cheyenne Grigg, Jessica Herring, Ashley Hunt, Leigha Jackson, Bethany Kay, Emilee Keuten, Mercedes Mattes, Kelsea Mckinney, Paula Pilkenton, Linsey Preddy, Danielle Smyth, Peggy Stanley, Linda Strauss, Megan Tucker, Kristin Whistine;

 Little Elm, Texas – Hunter Gagnon;

 Logansport – Trenton Timmons, Rebecca Tomlin;

 Longview, Texas – Gustavo Corrales, Kelli Hickerson, Samantha Morris;

 Lyons, Kansas – Jennifer Rogers, Mary Rogers;

Machesney Park, Illinois – Alicia Teran;

 Mamou – Alex Chapman, Meggie Granger, Nicholas Saucier;

 Mandeville -- Shannon Roussell;

Mangham -- Rebekah Aultman;

Mansfield – Brooke Smith, Madylin Sullivan;

 Mansura – Bailey Quebedeaux, Distiny Thompson;

 Many – Skyler Ezernack, Heidi Knight, Jaleah Lee, Lathan Meyers, Xavier Montgomery, Chas Pilcher, Tessa Reeves, Samantha Simmons;

 Marksville – Zachary Moreau, Paulette Thomas;  

 Marrero – Lorn Bourgeois;

 Marshall, Texas – Laurann Graham, D’Sherrick Williams;

 Marthaville – Emeri Manasco, Hanna Pardee;

Maurepas – Cameron Mayfield, Abigail Smith;

 Maurice – Adam Courville;

 Melissa, Texas – Kylah Banasky;

 Merryville -- Kalan Townsley;

 Metairie – Kaitlyn Arena, Morgan Nuss, Holly Schiler, Mary Strickland, Sadye Treadway;                          

 Minden – Aubrey Dennis, Jess Easley, Laura Gryder, Taya Hester, Kiara Jenkins, Abigail Reynolds, Amanda Rogers, Heather White;

 Mississauga, Ontario, Canada – Kayla Bomben;

 Mobile, Alabama – Emily Cristina;

 Monroe – Demonta Brown, Aaron Hunt, Grace Underwood;

 Montgomery -- Shelly Crew, Katelym Feazell;

 Mooringsport – Abigail Wolfe;

 Mora – Gracy Rowell;

Moreauville – Sean Casey;

 Morgan City – Allie Atkinson, Jeremy Orgeron;

 Morse – Kierra Linden;

 Mount Hermon -- Warren McFarlain;

Muleshoe, Texas -- Caitlyn Barber;

 Murphy, Texas – Bronte Rhoden;

 Murrieta, California – LaQuitta Wilkins;

Napoleonville – Elizabeth Coleman;

Natchitoches -- Austin Aldredge, Ragan Aple, Luz Arrieta Jimenez, Rebecca Autrey, Sarah Aviles, Francisco Ballestas-Sayas, Joshua Below, Dylan Bennett, Sarah Bergeron, Allison Berry, Sara Coates, Anna Coffey, Fabian Correa Guette, Haley Dahlhoff, Elliot Davis, Ruth Garcia Rodriguez, Samantha Hall, Kaitlin Hatten, Taylor Johnson, Anthony Jones, Mary Keran, Colby Koontz, Scott Macqueen, Miranda Mayeaux, Rylie Mcfarlain, Jordan Mitchell, Maina Ibn Mohammed, Kaitlyn Nieman, Brooklyn Noe, Abigail Poe, Jonah Poe, Melissa Remo, Shelby Riedel, Alyssa Roberts, Kayla  Roquemore, Emily Ryder, Emily Salter, Madison Shade, Melissa Slaughter, Madeline Taylor, David Thibodaux, Kristan Valdez, Lantz Vercher, Elizabeth Vienne, Madysen Watts;

New Iberia -- Jaci Jones, Grace Kerns, Payton Romero:

 New Llano – Nicole Naral;

New Milford, Connecticut -- Lisa Rosenberg;

 New Orleans – Jerome Baudy, Haleigh Giorlando Wall, Jaime Hendrickson, Tayla Oliver;

Noble – Allie Ebarb, Collin Procell;

Noyen sur Serthe, France -- Emma Miachon;

Oakdale -- Cheyenne Bertrand, Alyssa Cole, Katelyn Johnson, Coriana Moreaux, James Obrien;

 Oil City – Ryan Connella;

 Olla – Brianna Corley, Kristen Smith;

Opelousas -- Lauren Hebert, Keshayla Jackson, Alexia Rubin, Jaylen St. Romain;

Pacifica, California -- Nicholas Pierotti;

Palmetto, Florida --   Cindy Hernandez;

 Paris, Texas -- Jordan Whatley;

 Pearland, Texas – Tanisha Williams;

 Pelican – Mary Myers;

Pereira Risaralda, Colombia -- Mariana Ospina Rivas;

 Pineville – Malek Abdelhadi, Taylor Bailey, Riley Bell, Tasha Blanchard, Christian Boudreaux, Latasha Cain, Noelle Carruth, Amber Edmisson, Erin Fallis, Kara Johnson, Michael Martin, Emily McCarty, Cade Mitchell, Wendi Powell, Morgan VanBuren, Corbi Walters, Wesley Williams, Alan Winegeart;                        

 Pitkin – Mattie Stewart;

 Plaquemine – Kameron Landry;

 Plaucheville -- Brooke Dauzat;                            

Pollock – Jadynn Giles;

 Pontotoc, Mississippi – Elizabeth McCullar;

 Port Allen – Makayla Lacy;

 Port Barre – Madison Estis;

 Port Orange, Florida – Sean Logan;

 Prairieville – Rebekah Bonner, Colleen Carline, Roy Cobb, Andrea Gathercole, Sarah Makin;

Princeton – LeKayla Smith;

 Provencal – Kara Gandy, Rebekah Orsborn, Bailey Scarbrough;

Ragley – Elizabeth Jaycox, Cole Spponer;

 Raleigh, North Carolina – Aleida, Alfonso;

 Ringgold – Regan Edwards;

 Riverview, Florida – Robyn Larson;

 Robeline – Jessica Clark, Patricia Goodwin, Alyssa Maley, Bergen Oge, Caleb Wester;

 Round Rock, Texas – Evan Nafe;

 Ruston – Jena Green;

 Saint Francisville – Sara Baggett, Jordan Bringedahl;

 Saint Martinville – Blake Blanchard, Alli Douet;                        

 Saint Rose – Alexis Mancuso;

 Saline – Madelyn Cheatwood;

 San Antonio, Texas – Tiffany Rubin;

 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Loren MacLennan;

 Scott – Sydni Larriviere, Kristen Prejean;

 Seabrook, Texas -- Amy Whitecotton;

 Searcy, Arkansas – Lora Wood;

 Shenzhen, China – Yinglin Yuan;

Shreveport -- Lindsey Adkins, Mackenzie Allen, Hannah Angell, Yasmeen Bader, James Baldwin, Katelynn Benge, Maddison Benge, Hallie Bloxom, Erin Brown, Kaysie Burgess, Abigail Davis, Jackson Driggers, Jennifer Eaves, Jennifer Elliott, Samantha Freeman, Peyton Gamble, Leah Gould, Melina Johnson, Tatyanna Kinsey, Kaitlyn Knighton, Katherine Mckay, Maxey McSwain, Madison Milligan, Myles Mitchell, Cayla Morris, Megan Osborn, Mallory Parker, Bailey Patton, Zachary Person, Haley Pickett, Taylor Poleman, Patricia Reed, Madelyn Ruiz, Catherine Shaw, Shelby Sowers, DeAndre Stevenson, Khaila Tucker, Ansonia Wisner;

 Sibley – Julianna Schober;

 Simmesport – Bailie Marsh, Elise Normand;

 Simsboro – Autumn Smith, Shelby Wall;

 Slaughter – Ciara Gibbs;

 Slidell – Ayrianna Edwards, Katherine Gallinghouse, Parker Gwaltney, Abigail Miller, Sabrina Miller, Holly Penta, Rachel Reed, Jourdan Waddell, Olivia Warren;                      

 Spring, Texas -- Sydney Normand;

 Stinnett, Texas – Dalin Williams;

 Stonewall – Mildred Hooper, Mallory McConathy, Emily McConnell, Brooke Meade, Clinton Oliver, Mackenzie Panther, Kassidy Parker;                          

 Stuttgart, Germany -- Antonia Blattner;

 Sulphur – Tiffany Lyons, Bryttani MacNamara;

 Sunset – Lindsay Thibodeaux;

 The Woodlands, Texas – Tyler Rapp;

 Thibodaux – Sheridan Duet, Maegan Davis;

Tool, Texas – Kimberly Kidney;

 Toronto Ontario – Rhea Verma;

 Trout – Makayla King, Zachary Long, Deana Poole, Devon Smith, Andrea Walters;

 Venice, Florida – Alexis Weaver;

 Ventress – Racheal Gaude;

 Ville Platte – Gabrielle Chapman, Joshua Galland, Alex Gautreaux;

 Waco, Texas – Isabella Hudson;

 Walker – Johnny Brister;

 Washington – Tarik Andrus;

 Welsh – Alisha Ledoux;

 West Helena, Arkansas – Brittani Arana;

 West Monroe – Julianne Cousans, Laura Lovell;

 White Castle – Cassidy Blanchard, Gavin Landry;

 Whitehouse, Texas – Jackson Allen;

 Wilmington, Delaware – Amy Bourett;

 Winnfield -- Tamierrea Alexander, John Collins, Simona Curry, Michael Duke, D’Tyria Duncan, Joshua Goins, Kassidy Grantadams, Kelsey Jordan, Elizabeth Parker, Caroline Womack, Maggie Womack;

 Winnipeg, Manitoba – Tyra Duma;

Woodworth – Christian Jeansonne, Jonathan Magnano;

Wylie, Texas – Alexis Perry;

 Yaroslav, Russia -- Polina Mutel;

Youngsville – Jessica Gilmore, Brandon Granger;

 Zakopane, Poland -- Patrycja Polanska;

 Zwolle – Shakelia Maxie, Holden Rivers.                          

[simonssays963]

Taylor Swift Secret Messages

Taylor Swift (2006) 01) Tim McGraw: cant tell me notahin [Brandon Borello] 02) Picture To Burn: date nice boys [Jordan Alford] 03) Teardrops On My Guitar: he will never know [Drew ardwick] 04) A Place In This World: found it 05) Cold As You: time to let go 06) The Outside: you are not alone 07) Tied Together With A Smile: you are loved 08) Stay Beautiful: shake n bakie [Cory Robertson] 09) Should've Said No: sam sam sam sam sam sam [Sam Armstrong] 10) Mary's Song: sometimes love is forever 11) Our Song: live in love [Brandon Borello]

Fearless (2008) 01) Fearless: I loved you before I met you 02) Fifteen: I cried while recording this [Brandon Borello] 03) Love Story: someday I’ll find this 04) Hey Stephen: love and theft [Stephen Liles] 05) White Horse: all I ever wanted was the truth 06) You Belong With Me: love is blind so you couldn't see me 07) Breathe: I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry [Emily Poe] 08) Tell Me Why: guess I was fooled by your smile 09) You're Not Sorry: she can have you 10) The Way I Loved You: we can't go back 11) Forever & Always: if you play these games we're both going to lose [Joe Jonas] 12) The Best Day: god bless andrea swift [Andrea Swift] 13) Change: you made things change for me

Speak Now (2010) 01) Mine: Toby [Toby] 02) Sparks Fly: Portland, Oregon [Jake Owen] 03) Back To December: Tay [Taylor Lautner] 04) Speak Now: you always regret what you don't say 05) Dear John: loved you from the very first day [John Mayer] 06) Mean: I thought you got me [Bob Lefsetz] 07) The Story Of Us: CMT awards [John Mayer] 08) Never Grow Up: I moved out in July [growing up & moving out] 09) Enchanted: Adam [Adam Young] 10) Better Than Revenge: you thought I would forget [Camille Belle, Joe Jonas] 11) Innocent: life is full of little interuptions [Kanye West] 12) Haunted: still to this day 13) Last Kiss: forever and always 14) Long Live: for you

Red (2012) 01) State Of Grace: I love you doesn't count after goodbye [Jake Gyllenhaal] 02) Red: SAG (screen actors guild/sag harbor/sagittarius) [Jake Gyllenhaal] 03) Treacherous: won't stop till it's over [Harry Styles] 04) I Knew You Were Trouble: when you saw me dancing [Harry Styles] 05) All Too Well: maple lattes [Jake Gyllenhaal] 06) 22: ashley dianna claire selena [Ashley Avignone, Dianna Agron, Claire Callaway, Selena Gomez] 07) I Almost Do: wrote this instead of calling [] 08) We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: when I stopped caring what you thought [Jake Gyllenhaal] 09) Stay, Stay, Stay: daydreaming about real love 10) The Last Time: LA on your break [John Mayer] 11) Holy Ground: when you came to the show in SD [Joe Jonas] 12) Sad Beautiful Tragic:  while you were on a train [Jake Gyllenhaal] 13) The Lucky One: wouldn't you like to know [Marilyn Monroe] 14) Everything Has Changed: Hyannis Port [Connor Kennedy] 15) Starlight: for ethel [Ethel Kennedy] 16) Begin Again: I wear heels now [Connor Kennedy]

1989 (2014) 01) Welcome To New York: we begin our story in new york [New York] 02) Blank Space: there once was a girl known by everyone and no one [] 03) Style: her heart belonged to someone who couldn't stay [Harry Styles] 04) Out Of The Woods: they loved each other recklessly [Harry Styles] 05) All You Had To Do Was Stay: they paid the price [] 06) Shake It Off: she danced to forget him [] 07) I Wish You Would: he drove past her street each night [] 08) Bad Blood: she made friends and enemies [Katy Perry] 09) Wildest Dreams: he only saw her in his dreams [] 10) How You Get The Girl: then one day he came back [] 11) This Love: timing is a funny thing [] 12) I Know Places: and everyone was watching [Harry Styles] 13) Clean: she lost him but she found herself and somehow that was everything []

Reputation (2017) 01) Ready For It [Joe Alwyn] 02) End Game [Joe Alwyn] 03) I Did Something Bad [Kanye West, Kim Kardashian] 04) Don't Blame Me [] 05) Delicate [Joe Alwyn] 06) Look What You Made Me Do [Kanye West] 07) So It Goes [] 08) Gorgeous [Joe Alwyn, Calvin Harris] 09) Getaway Car [Tom Hiddleston, Calvin Harris] 10) King Of My Heart [Joe Alwyn] 11) Dancing With My Hands Tied [Calvin Harris] 12) Dress [Joe Alwyn] 13) This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things [Kanye West, Kim Kardashian] 14) Call It What You Want [Joe Alwyn] 15) New Year's Day []

[hottytoddynews]

HottyToddy.com would like to congratulate everyone who made the Honor Roll and Dean’s List this first nine weeks of the school year.

Della Davidson Elementary School Honor Roll – First Quarter 2017-2018

Principal’s List (All A’s) Abraham, Luke Elias Adams, Catherine Archer Adams, Indaniya A’myani Albadry, Malak Mohamed Alderson, Michael Rel Alford IV, John Warner Allen, Hardy Vinson Amidon, Annabelle Kristin Anderson, Chloe Ryan Baeshen, Norah Ruth Beard, Bradley William Belk, Rylee Erin Bell, Valerie Denise Blackburn, Collins Brantley Blackwood, Donald James Bodie, Eden Brooks Bouldin, William Maxwell Bowling, Poppy Katherine Bragg, John Lawson Brasell, Thomas Murry Burkes, Avery Jane Burlaka, Anna Campbell, James Bryan Carlisle, Dylan Cerny Carr, Sophie Anne Chambers, Chi Tianna Tameko Chavis, Ruby Maude Chen, Winnie Clark, Hudson Truett Colby, Andrew David Collums, Paisley Isabelle Cooper, Adam Michael Cormack, Madison Leigh Cowgill, Benjamin Garrett Curry, Nilydia Nicole Dale, Lake Reed Denevan, Brody Patrick Edlin, Lydia Catherine Embry, Mamie Caldwell Farese, Alexa Perry Feltenstein, Liza Kimbrell Ferguson, Jordyn Armani Fortyz, Xander Bryce Franks, Addison Elise Fruge’, Benjamin Guy Gandhi, Sanya Manish Gary, Walker Edmond Giles, Harris Fisher Gray, Sadie Alan Green, Mary Bea Greene, Isabel Faye Hale, Mary Elena Hall, Hayden Zackery Hamilton, Judson Silas Hill, Jordan Amir Hipp, Abigail Laura Houston, Zaria Mau’Ja Hyneman, Howard Povall James, Calvin Larry Jang, Jun Jones, Eleanor Claire Jones, Molly Caroline Jones, Sawyer Reed Kariuki, Claire Ng’endo Kava, Luseane Keskin, Adem Keskin, Sibel Elizabeth King, Eleanor Anne Knef, Ava Grace Knight, Evan Dewayne Koestler, Andrew Preston Kosko, Garrett Alexander Kovachev, Martin Evgeni Laporte, Kenton James Lauzon, Kimberly Madison Levy, Lillian Vera Lewis, Julia Slade Lowery, Ellie McCay Luber, Charlotte Allen Lynch, Breannah Danielle Lynn, Tate Alden Mason, Katherine Mims McGinness, Alexandria Eve McLellan, Elizabeth Rose Meyer, Logan Charles Milton, Henry Tucker Moore, Andrew Taygen Moore, Russell Paul Morales-Romero, Brittany Michelle Morgan, D’Nijha Danielle Morris, Wyatt Bryan Myers, Carter Lewis Nemesek, Jackson James Nichols, Kelling Elizabeth Nordstrom, Katherine Crenshaw Odom, Streater Bliss Oliver, Leecie Bella Overby, Hogan Ryan Oyler, Henry Chadwick Pan, Raymond Park, Jinseo Patel, Rishi Rakesh Payne, Peyton Rowe Pegues, Madison Renae Percy, Phinizy Davis Percy, William Strong Perry, Anna Reed Pettis, Jerkeria Amyai Phillips, Preston David Putt, Harrison Gage Rainey, Elijah Edward Rajesh, Saishri Reeder, Ella Grace Reynolds, Madison Nicole Rhodes, Mary Helen Roane, Kathryn Annette Robbins, Michael Anderson Roberson, Ann Lillian Robinson, James Barrett Robinson, Rachel Lynn Rogers, Chanijah Makaila Santiago, Krizhan Wynn Tubale Schuesselin, Nancy Elaine Shaw, Zoe Elizabeth Shelton, John Mack Sherman, Gracie Jackson Sherman, Olivia Cate Shinall, Trevor Dean Shipman, Samuel Aylon Sisk, Trinity Ja’Kiya Smith, Anna Prescott Smith, Collier Elizabeth Smith, JoAnna Maize Smith, Zander Kade Snider, Kylie Anne Stein, Michael Anthony Mack Steinriede, Eleanor Catherine Still, Michael Banks Sullivan, William Russell Tatum, Cohen Hux Thompson, William Wright Toms, Pearce Pegram Tosh, Amanda Claire Trout, Davis Walker Turner, James Talmadge Turner, Sullivan Catledge Urbanek, Evan Harper Van Every, Thaxton Delane Vaughan, Graham Thomas Vega, Isabella Leigh Vincent, Ari Levi Wadlington, Keirra Lynn Waldrop, Cameron Lee Waldrop, Elise Ann Waller, Andrew Hinton Warrington, John Patrick Weaver, Dorian Jacob White, John Wilson Wigginton, Aubrey Mae Wiley, Lorelei Kathryn Wilfawn, Claire Kamryn Wilkes, Alice Gardner Williams, Ellen Kate Wilson, Loughran Samantha Woo, Yewon Youngblood, Cameron Layne Zinn, Dequan Montez

Teacher’s List (All A’s & B’s) Adams, Olandria Lashea A’layshia Agnew, Andrew Laster Alhusban, Ghaith Ali Amaya Hernandez, Noeli Nicole Anthony, Joshua Cole Armstrong, Kylan Lashun Arya, Medha Avdiienko, Anatolii Balderama, Ingrid Yamilet Ball, Camden Jace Barnes, Lela Monae Barrett, Aniston Claire Bass, Eden Derartu Beard, Mary Virginia Beauchamp, Luly Anne Bell, Jacob Taylor Bennett, Callie Grace Blackwelder, Jaxon Xander Bogue, Ali Cheyanne Bolton, Parker Elizabeth Bondurant, Stanford James Booker-Wilkins, Mary Kay Booker, Zaniyah A’Leah Booth, Stephen Armand Brannon, Ca’Mari D’Aisha Brannon, Khalisia Anaya Brownlee, Addison Elizabeth Brownlee, Olivia Gracelyn Burrell, David Lee Carroll, Thomas David Cassidy, William Garner Castillo, Yostin Yarid Cayetano, Caitlin Cayetano, Caylee Denise Centellas, Javier Enrique Certion, Kasidy Allyse Chaney, Elliott Chavis, Bazil Major Cockrum, McKenna Renee Cook, Joe Garrett Cowgill, Isabella Katherine Crain, Kennedy Clark Crouch, Campbell Cathryn Crowe, Clara Darden Cunningham, Harper Ray Davis, Brooklyn Landry Davis, Lyric Alexander Davis, Sierra Niquel Denham, Emerson Grace Dennis, Elijah Daniel Ding, Joanna Donahoe, Barrett Hardy Douglas, Grace Adin Downing, Margaret Caroline Doyle, Sean Riley Elhawy, Abdallah Khaled Elhawy, Sohila Khalid Erwin, Parker Thomas Evans, Hunter Lee Feathers, Reagan Leigh Ferguson, Cade Baxter Fields, August Flowers, Marcus Jerome Foster, Nevan David Fountain, Thomas Whittingtion Freeman, Salayah Samere Frierson, Deslyn Reann Gaia, Wesley Stephens Gammill, Brayden Thomas Gilliom, Aryanna Kenise Ginn, Micah Joseph Gist, Grayson Taylor Gray, Parker Thompson Greer, Micah Alexxander Gregory, Kingston Wells Gregory, London Jules Griffin, Clayton Rusty Wayne Hankins, Deangelo Omari Harbin, Mariah Kionna Hardenburgh, Madelyn Brooke Harrington, Sophia Clair Harris, Lainey Elizabeth Harrison, Taylor Matthew Haymans, George Stouton Helveston, Susan Patton Hendrickson, Carson Alexander Herrington, Carter Matthew Hervey, Adaysia Holcomb, Benjamin Cade Hom, Nathanael Ioan Hopper, Jeremy Campbell Hosemann, Sarah Katherine Howell, LaKayla Lauren Maree Huchin, David Alexander Hunt, Kaden Deshawn Hunter, Riley Claire Jacobs, Da’Niya Rena James, William David Jernigan, Maier Dixon Johnson, Hannah Brooke Johnson, William Jay Jones, Makinzi Gabrielle Jones, William Wesley Kelley, Caroline Jewel Kelly, Jasmine Grace King, Emily Katherine Knighton, Cohen Hoyt Le, Ryan Gia Bao Lewellen, Grady Charles Lewis, Allyson Kate Lilly, Lucy Lujie Love, Caroline Grace Lovelady, William Niles Lowe, Nicholas Wallace Luke, Harrison Thomas Maiden, Simeon Rashad Marzouk, Farida Omar Masinelli, Andrew Charles Mathis, Isaiah Contrell Mayo, John Alexander Mayo, William Bradley McCullough, Brody Cole McEwen, Kennedy Brooke McJunkins, Addyson Auraiyana McKenzie, Layton Rose McThune, Deundrea Rowmel Montgomery, Ann Luckett Morgan, Emma Hardin Najjar, Noah Joseph Nautiyal, Riddhi Neely, Robert Myril Nguyen, Phuoc James Thien Nocentino, Gabrielle May Notestone, Nancy Carole Nuon, Ian Cole Oliver, Robert Eli Owens, Chequila Aeisha MyAngel Perez Alfaro, Itzari Perry, Jamari De’Juan Phillips, Antonio Deangelo Pritchard, Serenity Juliet Radwan, Renad Ramsey, Bradley Wayne Ray, Siobhan Julia Reed, Germaine Emmanuel Roane, Braxton Jewell Robinson, Andrea Nicole Robinson, Cory Brandon Robinson, Jada Sha’Mya Rodriguez-Padilla, Stephanie Ross, Elijah James Russell, John Alden Sanchez, Alexander Cash Sankar, Deekshita B Schock, Kennedy Jo Schornhorst, Lillian Hannah Schweigart, Tryston Scott Scoggins, Ethan Sheldon, George Lawson Shepard, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Shoaf, Jack Hamilton Shows, Anderson Grady Sims, A’niyah Jhana’e Sims, Ja’Niyah Zha’Rai Singletary, Jane Anne Sisk, Hannah A’lise Smith, Chase Manning Smith, Ly’Niyah Smith, Zyterrion Spight, Xavion Y’Urijah Staten, Haley Marie Stewart, Rebecca Ann Striplin, Alli Reese Sullivan, Anna Kate Summers, Brady Eli Terrell, Destiny L Tew, Dashiel Cohen Thompson, Mariah La’Vonne Torres, Miguel Angel Travis, Savannah Grace Trimble, Tristan Nathaniel Turner, Cortez Lamont Urbina, Alex David Urbina, Gustavo Ussery, Lauren Addison Walker, James Radford Wallace, Rakerion Rickyus Watts, Kayla Marie Watts, Madalynne E Webb, Colten Joseph Wells, Reid Thornton Westmoreland, Allie Jaymes Westmoreland, Luke Chadwick Wilkins, Jayden Rashaan Wilks, Alexis Makayla Williams, Cooper Marshall Williams, Olivia Louise Williams, Sarai’ Danielle Wilson, Jussyaih Keeyunnah Wilson, Zanija Alexis Nicole Windham, John Colvin Winkler, Lily Anne Woodard, Audarrius Dewayne Yourn, Kloey Lynn Zhang, Grant Ruiyuan

Oxford Intermediate School Honor Roll – First Quarter 2017-2018

Principal’s List (All A’s) Adams, Lily Belden Alexander, Captain Provine Allen, Hylan Gates Arevalo, Luis Angel Bain, Samuel Stewart Baker, Harley Jayne Barr, Nelson Mandrill Berry, Caroline Lillian Bigham, Ann Hunter Boone, Pharis Louise Bourn, Mary Mills Bradley, Taylor Kate Brown, Ajzah Iyuana-Jakia Bruce, Elliot Olen Bundren, Sara Kate Byars, Mary Dale Campbell, Benjamin Marshall Cancer, Zaria Cannon, Ty’Derrius Quavieon Carleton, Carley Gray Carlisle, Connor Hugh Carroll-Gonzalez, Sophia Jeanette Cassidy, Jillian Everett Claassen, Juneau Cohen, Rachel Cohn, Sofia Grace Coleman, Sariyah Mae-Lynn Colley, Megan Elizabeth Collins, Deandre Quevon Cooper, Nathaniel Harry Covington, Blake Elliot Crenshaw, Jacob D Dabbs, Alice Kathryn Dale, Atticus Darwin Daniels, John Swayze Daugherty, Miller Michael Denham, Evelyne Lee Dennis, Jeffrey Brown Dolan, John Henry Dossett-Bridgers, Elsie James Dossett-Bridgers, Lee Tucker East, Ava Lee Edwards, Lucas David Eubanks, Nikki Mae Farese, Luke William Ferriss, Cayden Quin Floate, Wyatt Matthew Flowers, Alexander Harris Foster, Larcen Michelle Fountain, James Michael Frierson, Camaria Calyse Fruge’, Charles Mitchell Fuller, Andrevion Rayshad Gentry, Claire Renae Gililland, Hayden Claire Golden, Quevyn Javion Golmon, William Bradley Goolsby, Victoria Ann Goulet, Gilad Grafton, Carolyn Chase Grantham, Bradley Wynne Gray, Harper Elizabeth Gray, Madeline Elizabeth Greene, Samuel Thomas Greenlee Doty, Georgia Love Hamilton, Taylor Grace Harper, John Andrew Heard, Parker Madison Helsel, Maci Hemmins, Scarlet Virginia Henderson, Susanna Elise Heuer, Sam Robertson Hill, Jack Westbrook Hill, William Maxwell Hilliard, Xaikeese Deontae Hitchcock, Jonas Grey Hollinger, Christopher William Homan, Madeline Taylor Hooker, Anna Elise Houston, Walker Wyatt Hurdle, Ella Beth Ibrahim, Mennah Mohamed Ali Ivy, Jack Whitten Jones, Henry Tucker Jones, Kamari Danielle Jones, Kobe Isaiah Jones, Madison Elizabeth Jones, Zoey Denise Karahan, Elisa Fonseca Kevin, Bridgette Kirk, Benjamin Carter Koestler, Leland Matthew Langendoen, Isabelle Terezija Lawhead, Christine Elizabeth Laws, Edward Knox Le, Michelle T Lowery, Madeline Grace Luber, Miles Atchison Majumdar, Sneha Makamson, Benjamin Joseph Maloney, Brady Michael Mauney, Ellie Katherine Maxwell, Mae Covington Mayo, Ian James McClellan, Ella Catherine McCready, Carson Neal McLellan, Andrews Mitchell Meagher, Mary Lucile Beatrice Mina-Reyes, Gabriel Alexander Monroe, George Henry Moss, Lucy Claire Murthy, Prajwal Narasimha Nagle, Nicholas Ming-Rui Najjar, Adam Alexander Nichol, Thomas Osborn Noel, Mary Grace Notestone, William King Oyler, Cole Madeline Perry, Lucy Clare Randle, Ava Caroline Rayburn, Thomas Harrison Rayner, Lila Elizabeth Reeder, Emma Kathryn Ritchie, Alexandra Ingrid Roland, Elijah Sessions Salau, Fawaz Olaitan Samuels, Charles Kane Sanchez, Tomas Alessandro Schmelzer, Carson Joseph Schmelzer, Catherine Elizabeth Scott, Anne Bailey Scott, Cooper Aubrey Shaw, Annie Cade Sherman, Evelyne Graham Shipman, Mary Margaret Shorter, Addyson Grace Shows, Emily Crawford Smith, Julia Anne Smith, Sharpe Holiman Smith, Sutherland Ross Solinger, Jordan Maxwell Srinath, Navaneeth Stinnett, Brady Patrick Sudduth, Ashley Lorraine Taylor, Janiya B A Tomlinson, Vivian Anne Tschumper, Katherine Mae Tulchinsky, Jacob Tulchinsky, Payton Ann Urbanek, Kaitlyn Sanders Valliant, Wells Gregory Van Every, Everhett Hawkins Vasilyev, Vivian Scott Vega, Sarah Kendall Vijayasankar, Arjun Vo, Binh Quoc Wages, Mallory Jennings Waldrop, Fisher Wells Walker, Ava Taylor Walker, Samantha Daye Walls, Jason Kendrick Weaver, Alana Ann White, Charles S Wicker, Claire Catherine Wigginton, Georgia Gray Wilkes, Carter Broom Wilkinson, William Pratt Williamson, Alice Lindley Wilson, Ava Elizabeth Wilson, Caroline Rose Wilson, Jeremiah Windham, Byron Pearson Windham, Clayton Page Young, Grant Powell

Teacher’s List (All A’s & B’s) Abbott, Carolyn Rose Al-Ostaz, Mohannad Ahmed Allen, Walker Harrison Almutairi, Hanin Anderson, Jakeria Anderson, Seger Cappaert Anjanappa, Saurab S Aquino, Zaiden Allen Arnold, Bailey Reighn Atkinson, Landon Kyle Austin, Mariam Catherine Avery, Kanalu Olamana Baddour, Paul Marion Balkin, Gabriela Analise Banks, Cam’Ron Barry, Brooke Padgitt Barton, Katherine Louise Bass, James Tanner Bean, Z’nyla Amor Belenchia, Natalie Paige Benedict, Anna Lauren Bishop, Margaret Ann Blackwelder, Jagger Anthony Blair, Natalie Elizabeth Blount, Levi Daniel Bombelli, Nicholas Boyas, William Joaquin Brasell, Jane Saxon Brown, Madison Ann Buford, Julian Burleson, Dixie Katherine Burns, Hunter Kylen Busby, Jack Garland Busby, Mary Caroline Buschlen, Keaton Vaughn Buzareiba, Raghad Omran Caldwell, Jordan Austin Campbell, A’Yhuna Nakeyia Carmean, Evelyn Rose Carmean, Jane Reeves Carrington, Glenn Elizabeth Carter, Callie Grace Case, Olivia Linton Castillo-Tabora, Genesis Causey, Jacquelynne Jeanne Edith Certion, M’Layjah Jovian Cerveny, Andrew David Coleman, Nadia Bethanie Cope, John Grayson Cormack, Kennedy Reese Cottom, Leiaidra Mi’Joi Crocker, Timothy Ezekiel Dale, Madelyn Sophia Daniels, Annika Marie Davis, Madison Rihanna Doner, Emileigh Grace Dowling, Larkin Bernini Dudley, Jeremiah Lajordan Ealey, So’Nia Carrie Christine East, Michael Ann Eastland, Hiram C Espinoza, Jayda Sophia Estes, Wesley Brett Farmer, Marjorie Elizabeth Fassinger, Kaden Chase Felix, Matthew Ripken Finner, Christopher A J Flaschka, Max Russell Wolf Flaschka, Mollie Blair Ford, Christopher Ezekiel Fowler, Kathryn Presley Franklin, Thomas Gerald Freeman, Wyatte Holden Fuller, Kardesia Janae’ Gaia, John Wallace Gandhi, Syna Manish Gillis, Lindsey Elizabeth Glenn, Raven Tarrell Dee Green, Ladaejah Jeriah Grem, William Miles Gussow, Shaun David Hamilton, Emma Kathleen Haralson, Hannah Lynn Harrington, Chloe Marie Hazlewood, Margaret Elaine Henderson, Evelyn Lynn Herrera, Alexander Santiago Herron, Kentravion Temelle Hilliard, Akevia Leigh-Ann Hilliard, Ryan Glenn Hillmer, Cailey Nicole Hobson, Breuna Cheri Hodges, Makyah Zaire Horton, Auriana Hyche, Avery Lynn Ibrahim, Zeyad Mohamed Ali Jackson, Elise Ann Jernigan, Patricia Bell Joyce, Colby Richard Jubera, Robert Judson, Braylen Terrell Kamman, Barrett Denton Kelley, Madelyn Kent, Reid Andrew Kimbrell, Elizabeth Rivers Knef, Andrew H Knight, Colton Gray Kosko, Bailey Mullins Landry-Rahaim, Rose Latimer, Sarah Ross Le, Kevin Lewis, Avery Pierce Lewis, Elaina Renee Lewis, Jon Allen Lewis, Samuel Wallace Lovorn, Rowan Elliott Lowe, Jane Claire Martin, Colton Andrew Martins, Pedro Machado May, Olivia Helen Mayo, Cait Frances Mayoral, Braden John McCarty, Tamiyiah MoShay McCollins, Zuri Ayana McCullen, Laura Kathleen McCurdy, Sean Thomas McDaniel, Aden Gregory McElroy, Mattie Elizabeth McMillian, Javien Malachi Mercier, Georgia Rose Metcalf, Zoe Abigail Miller, Ana Mitchell, Ameir Mercedes Montgomery, Elizabeth Stewart Moreton, Anders Morgan, Houston Rivers Morgan, Michaela Lynn Mott, William Ross Munoz-Pascacio, Nathalie Nautiyal, Rishi Ndaruhutse, Boaz Tonto Nichols, William Ray Nordstrom, William Davis Norman, Robert Harrell O’Dowd, Brendan Charles Osborne, Annelise Taylor Parker, Elijah Parsons, Madelyn Yahel Pascacio, Joshten Raul Patton, Nyla Danielle Perkins, Anna Claire Pharr, Luke Benjamin Pruitt, Parker Jude Randle, Ethan Monroe Ray, Layton Ramsey Reed, Virginia Lynn Richards, Benjamin Graham Richards, Elijah Davis Rico, Anna Beatrix Rico, Patrick Finlay Robertson, Rivers Burton Robinson, Chance Robinson, Lillian Grayson Roy, Sam Morgan Samaniego, Alexa Itsallana Saxton, Andrew Martin Schardan, Julian Schock, Landon David Schwaegerl, Lena Charlotte Schweigart, Brenleigh Paige Scott, Nicholas Dane Scruggs, Sydney Kathryn Shoaf, Abby Elliston Sipes, Brooks Sipps, Annabelle Grace Smith, Emaleigh Sosa Rodriguez, Franklin Speed, John Thomas Strum, Madison Grace Swingle, Jack Manning Tallie, Kamayia Tallie, Keon’Taye Da’Shan Tatum, Carlisle Emery Taylor, Avaleigh Renee Taylor, Sovient Zantrell Thigpen, Alicia Renee Thomas, Amelia Walker Toles, Noah Elex Tompkins, Lillie Lizabeth Toney, Deriah Elizabeth Treloar, Davis Alexander Tyson, Tara Nicole Urbina, Natalia Elena Ussery, Reed Fowler Valliant, Rebeka Claire Vaughn, Brinnan Jaynes Vaughn, Makinly Grace Wadley, Amari Latrice Wadley, JaMarion Martavis Weathersbee, Mary Carolyn Elizabeth Webb, Elizabeth Riggan White, Kierstan Marcia Wicker, Bryce Chapin Wiley, Violet Nicole Wilkins, Stella Kathryn Wilkinson, Katherine Owen Wishon, Dylan Lee Wymer, Abraham Young, Kasiyah Kevionna Youngblood, Olivia Ashlyn Zachos, Lucian

Oxford Middle School Honor Roll – First Quarter 2017-2018

Principal’s List (All A’s) Abernathy, Sallie Virginia Addy, Aiden Lamar Alluri, Ajay Varma Amidon, Noah Jared Atchley, Andrew Crawford Austin, Katherine Grace Baggett, Kanesha Latrice Ball, Braden Matthew Barksdale, Brianna Denise Barrett, Lealand Gracie Barrios, Emory Caperton Beauchamp, Mattie Hanks Berry, William Wells Bianco, Catherine Louise Bigham, Brock Thurman Blair, Lydia Helen Bland, Hudson Lawrence Boudreaux, Claire Brewer, Joshua Alexander Brown, Jonathan Campbell, William Hayden Caradine, Miles Milton Emett Carter, Elijah Guy Carter, Joseph Andrew Case, Audrey Davis Cassisa, Carolina Grace Clark, Lacey Katherine Clinton, Nora Dean Cook, Madeline Ellsworth Cooper, Ciara Jo Crawley, Carsyn Swayzie Dabbs, Walker Pace Daniels, Dorothy Grace Davis, Farryn Kennedy Dennis, Julia McQueen Devera, Rowan Hayes Douglas, Faith Ann Dyminski, Thomas Randall Farmer, Sadie Grace Fruge’, Rosemary Katherine Giles, Lucian Witherspoon Goulding, Aidan S. Green, Henry Hasselman Greene, Amelia Lea Greer, Allison Reed Habeeb, Reagan Leigh Harper, Hannah Heard, Kaitlyn Paige Heuer, Everett Bowen Hill, John Bailey Hunt, Addison Marleigh Johnson, Josianna Elizabeth Kang, Mina Karthikeyan, Keerthin Kendricks, John Scott Knight, Ethan Tyler Latil, Jacob Walker Le, Johnson Le, Thu Anh Lewis, Louise Anne Ligon, Charles Thomas Little, Rosemary Elizabeth Love IV, John Clark Maryam, Numa Mathis, Kaylin Jennae Maxwell, James Donald McClure, Jeffrey Williams Miller, Saylie Parker Monteith, Savannah Isabel Bel Moore, Sarah Grace Murphy, Patrick Francis Newsom, William Luke Nordstrom, Benjamin Eli Ormon, Ava Kathryn Patel, Aidan Rakeah Perry, John West Purdom, Kara Elizabeth Ratliff, Charleston Edward Rayburn, Cecilia Reed, Vanessa Nicha Reysen, Ember Noelle Rhodes, Katelin Faith Roberson, Riley Elizabeth Robinson, Grant Wilson Rock, Cassidy Nicole Rubenstein, Zoe Elizabeth Sawyer, MacKenzie Lee Sawyer, Madison Nicole Schmelzer, Callie Grace Sharp, Chloe Anne Shelton, Emma Sanders Shipley, Savannah Harlow Shorter, Ashten Dean Smith, Stratton Holt Steinriede, Anne Walcott Stevens, Heath Michael Stewart, Olivia Ellen Sullivan, Aidan Thomas Sweeney, Connor Patrick Swingle, Molly Caroline Thompson, Ella McKinley Tosh, Ella Kathryn Trujillo, Aaron Michael Valdez, Xavier Edgar Wages, Caroline Grayson Walker, Anna Caroline Warrington, James Davis Weathersbee, Jeremiah Davis White, Avery Hannah Wicker, Sarah Grace Wigginton, Luke Lafayette Wilkinson, John Franklin Hassell Windham, William Thomas Woo, Nathan Kyoungseo Yant, Jane Isabella Zhang, Luke Xi

Teacher’s List (All A’s & B’s) Alexander, Zakeri Alan Alger, Anna Aloia, Jonah Grayson Anderson, James Wilder Arizaga, Genoveva Grace Armstrong, Aubrey Laine Austin, Brooks Crockett Baeshen, Andrew Hesham Bailey, Ramey Elliott Barnett, Evelyn Eliot Barton, Grace Anne Beebe, John Robert Belk, Aiden James Bell, Diamond Kierra Bergeron, Molly Merritt Best, Lauren Elizabeth Bial IV, Joseph John Bishop, Steven Matthew Blaylock, Evelyn Isabella Blount, Hope Davidson Bogan, Ticyana Anecia Renay Booker, Kirsten Ja’Derria Bowling, Adam Miller Brazell, Jessica Paige Brewer, Kaitlyn Emma Bruce, Norah Mary Jane Buchanan, Joseph Thomas Burkes, Anna Sophia Burkes, Delaney Grace Busby, Hattie Elizabeth Buschlen, Ethan Gareth Bush, Levi Matthew Byars, Charles Randolph Cabello, Michael Caldwell, Kalvia O’Nealvea Caldwell, Sparkle Ariel Campbell, Alysia Michelle Carothers, Sharenity Lynn Carwile, William Westmoreland Case, Mary McLauren Childers, Eva Ruth Contractor, Ria Zaksis Cooper, Noah Emmanuel Cope, Aiden Saliba Crane, John Spencer Crowe, Ellen Emerson Dabney, Thompson Daugherty, Amelie Parker Dennis, Ivy Suzanne Dennis, Jackson William Dorrell, Colin Semmes Downing, Stephen Matthew Dunaway, Drue Alexis Elliott, William M Ellis, William Vaiden Enfinger, Jena Brooke Fair, Virginia Ross Brown Fiveash, Jayda Grace Floate, Aidan Mark Freeman, Grace Kennedy Freeman, Samari Shani Fyke, Lola Carter Gaia, Madeleine Barnett Gililland, Joshua Alan Grantham, Robert Sharp Hanbury, Lauren Elizabeth Hardy, Julia Brent Harvey, Michael David Helsel, Mia Claire Hemmins, Jude Owen Henderson, Isabel Morrow Hewitt, Mary Alexandra Hickey, Morgan Hill, Anna Louise Ho, Jennifer Hodge, Claire Elise Hood, Catelin Grace Houston, Audria Aerial Huggins, Lylian Douglas Hunter, Sara Grace Hyneman, Henry Lewis Jacob, Katherine Elizabeth Jo, Samuel Hwanhee Johnson, Luke Daniel Jones, Averie Taylor Kincaid, David William Kirkwood, Ryan Tray’Shawn Langley, Avery Marie Lewis, William Goodloe Lipsey, JaMichael Takyland Logan, Vincent Chase Lowery, Charles Gavin Lynch, Robert Michael Madkins, Sariah Monyae May, Sarah Lynlee McGinness, Arkady Walker McInnis, Taylor McKey, Jude McMillan, Andersen Elizabeth Mercier, Audrey Elizabeth Metts, Linley Ann-Marie Mims, Allyson Rhea Mitchell, Makalah Renea Montgomery, Joel David Moore, Hayden Tyler Moore, Kallie McKade Morarie, Veronica Magdalena Morse, Allie Lynn Mott, Tacie Jane Mullen, Bryce Owen Murphey, Archer Smith Murphey, Webb Smith Norphlet, Elijah JaQuon O’Dowd, Davis Winton Owens, Laila Arquel Pasco-Pranger, Asa James Patterson, Michael Elias Perry, Ada Grace Pettis, Keanna Ne’veah Ponder, Michael Stratton Porcha, Quincy Allen Porter, Sania Loronz Portera, Owen Samuel Radigan, Luke Thomas Regan, Natalie Grace Renfroe, Land Harris Rhodes, William Lawton Riddell, Ellis Walker Robertson, Lane Brice Rogers, Currie Benton Rousseau, Helen Reed Rowland, Margaret Herron Rucker, Tyler JaJuan Russell, Drake Alan Saenz-Lopez, Darlyn Karina Sanchez-Garcia, Carlos Sanders, Blake Lee Savage, Michael Baylor Schneider, Emery Kathryn Schove, John Stanley Seicshnaydre, Elizabeth Lee Sharp, Aaron Shipman, Bella Scott Short, Ethan Andrew Shows, Cashe Newell Shows, Ross Alan Shull, Charles Wallace Singletary, Matthew Ray Skipworth, Tyler Wesley Smith, Alexis Grace Smith, Chaffin Elizabeth Smith, L’Asia Shekendrea Smith, Larrmyne Colton Spears Smith, Lewis Wynne Smith, Zaria Tyanna Solomon, Ross Whitlow Stallings, James Kyle Stewart, Christian Hope Turner, John Preston Vaughn, Jakira Sharda Vaughn, Leona Abigale Waddell, Olivia Ann Webb, Dixon Thomas Webb, Wesley Whitaker, Martha Sutton JiLu Wicker, Addie Elise Wicker, Luke McNabb Wicker, Tyler Kent Wilfawn, Keegan Douglas Wilkinson, Mary Katherine Suzette Winters, Taylor Woodfin, Aiden Scott Yerger, Harlan Yoste, John Geraghty

Oxford High School Honor Roll – First Quarter 2017-2018

Principal’s List (All A’s) Abernathy, Frances Hazie Addy, Alaina Kathleen Al-Ostaz, Nadeen Ahmed Al-Sherri, Zynub A. Atchley, Abigail Taylor Austin, Lillian Rose Baker, Ellyn Elizabeth Bartholomew, Gretchen Case Beard, Ashley Paige Bial, Lauren Frances Boudreaux, Christian Thomas Boutwell, Allie Kathryn Buchanan, Niamke Conner Bundren, Megan Leigh Burcham, Abagail Elizabeth Buskes, Anneke Lee Jing Qiu Callicutt, William Houston Chatman, Raven Nichelle Cheng, Calendula Yunong Cizdziel, Claire Theresa Cizdziel, Siena Catherine Cohen, Ross Gabriel Coon, Walker Thomas Crawley, John-Russell Cooper Cromwell, Clay Hollingsworth Crouch, Carter Fox Deese, David Henry Doerksen, Edmund Siwei Duperier, Alfred Wortham Elgohry, Marawan Moustafa Farese, Ellis Kilbourne Forgette, Anna Kathryn Freeze, Jordan McKenzie Fruge’, Don Luis Gershon, Eve Miranda Golmon, Graham Truett Goulet, Gabrielle E Goulet, Nicole Mayan Grafton, Addison Hibbs Green, Johnson McCallum Greene, Mary Emma Heiskell, Lucia Lamar Hemmins, Lilian Carroll Ho, Vivian Thuy Hu, Edward Yang Johnson, Walter Warren Jones, Emma Katherine Jones, Grace Anne Kendricks, Mary Charles Larson, Anna Mathis Li, Qing Yun Ligon, John Allen Livingston, Magnolia B Lizotte, George Britson Logan, Grace Nicole Luber, Kurre Thomas Luke, Cayden Angela Mallette, Pope Dolby Maxwell, Ellinor Minhinnette McEachern, Lorie Jordan McIntosh, Ann Caroline McKey, James Keith McKey, Mia Maureen McPhail, Joshua Robert Meagher, John Micheal Mercier, Marcus Karl Mercier, Mary Isabella Metcalf, Zkyra Monique Meyers, Gillian Elizabeth Mills, Addison Marie Mitchell, Lilian Camille Mobley, Alexander James Moen, Rebekah Hannah Mounce, Abigail Lauren Mullen, Sarah Neely Nagle, Alexandra M Nelson, Lauren Anada Renee Norman, Neal Garner Norris, Joseph Landon O’Keefe, Daniel Ryan O’Keefe, Joseph Thomas Overby, Haeden Ryan Pasco-Pranger, Sadie Charlotte Patel, Karina Rakesh Patel, Suhani Ashok Patterson, George Alexander Pearson, Claire Love Pham-Dao, Albert Phu Pham, Tu Nha Anna Pittman, Cady Grace Quinn, Sophia Adams Randall, Hannah Elizabeth Ratliff, Sarah Ann Renfroe, Anna Lauren Rester, Ann Claire Rester, Sydney Ruth Riley, Katherine Cook Robinson, Joseph Daniel Rock, Katelyn Virginia Rogers, Donald Forrest Roland, Virginia Olivia Roth, Hays Spicer Shelton, Samuel David Simpson, Philip Ryan Smith, Keon De’Morris Smith, Lily McCalla Soto, Lorelai Makenzie Spillers, Hannah Elizabeth Stevens, Emily Elise Strum, Carissa Ann Sullivan, Ann Morgan Swords, Julia Adeline Tann, Julia Elizabeth Tannehill, Jack Rhea Teng, Emmanuelle Rachel Thompson, Addison Mae Thompson, Halford Madeline Torrent, James Thomas Travis, Jaxon Owen Van Ness, Peter Fancher Waller, Mary Marshall Ward, Andreel Ti’Keshia Webb, Jaqaun Darnell White, Ava Camille Williams, Ellen Benson Wymore, Martha Olivia Leigh Yerger, Sarah Jane Young, Carter Thomas Zediker, Charlie Evan

Teacher’s List (All A���s & B’s) Abel, Elijah Taylor Abraham, Katherine Louise Adams, Margaret Pepper Adamson, Michael Joel Addy, Elias James Alexander, Breiana LaShaye Andrews, Daniel Logan Archer, Thomas Neal Arnold, Madeline Jean Baggett, Tamyra Alicia Baker, Wilson Benton Barrett, Anna Katherine Beard, Brittni Gail Berry, Eleanor Alexander Best, Aubrey Caroline Bianco, Andrew Joseph Bianco, Samuel Marquette Bishop, Aubrey Reed Bishop, Mary Katherine Blake, Christian Quin-Maronye Boone, Morgan Taylor Boudreaux, Keith Anthony Boughton, Aaliyah Bourn, Gracie Caroline Bradley, Brandon DaShun Bradley, Connor Blake Bradley, Zachary Mar’Tez Brewer, Timothy Hutson Brines, Lawson Henry Brown, Ryan Edward Bruce, Owen Wulff Buskes, Elsie Lee Hua Da Byars, Kathryn Culpepper Byars, Wilton Vance Calderwood, Kathryn Rose Caldwell, Deijanee Nicole Campbell, Saniah Nicole Caraway, Savannah Eve Carothers, Karen Elise Carrington, William Tucker Carwyle, Davis Monroe Case, Catherine Bryan Case, Lucy Catherine Chandler, Lauren Claire Chiniche, Lucy Dale Cipkowski, Leo O’Neil Clark, Abigail Lynn Coleman, Alijah Montana Collins, Alice Cofield Cook, Mary Ellen Coon, Russell Connor Cooper, Jessica Lynn Copley, Jessica Elizabeth Cousar, Reece Franklin Creekmore, Catherine Elizabeth Crosby, Madison Elizabeth Culpepper, Robert Fallon Dabney, Sally Kate Davidson, Adrian J’Quarie Davis, Arden Alicia Davis, Emily R. Davis, Hallie Jane-Lord Dawkins, Anna Gabrielle Dear, Jackson Kent Desler, Elizabeth Brooks Douglas, Jonathan Michael Dukes, Kylin Maurice Durham, James Taylor Dyer, Grace Thompson Easley, Colby J. Eastland, Mary Allyn Edge, Jesse Clifton Evans Elgohry, Kareem Moustafa Evans, Christina Camilla Evans, David Aitken Farese, Emma Reed Farmer, Nolan Scott Field, Catherine Newell Finn, Matthew Evan Flowers, Ty’Derriya J Fogerty, Daryl Charles Franks, Sarah Grace Freelon, Khyan Marquee Frierson, Demarius Ja’Shoun Fuller, Brooks Brown Fulton, Joshua Grey Gardner, Andrew Stephens Gililland, John Michael Gordon, Kyle Dekendric Gordon, Taylor D Gough, Mary Mobley Goulet, Yaniv Liberman Goza, Meredith Tatum Grafton, Daniel Cole Gul, Sharjeel Waseem Gunn, Elizabeth Abigail Hakim, Benjamin Stewart Hale, Benjamin Lewis Hall, Daniel Louis Hardy, Sarah Katherine Harrell, Logan Andrew Avant Harris, Keiona Aaliyah Hartnett, Eli Curtis Hartnett, Samuel Mark Harvey, John McCormick Hayward, Mary Clark Henderson, Andrew Hollensworth Hester, Andrew David Hester, Emily Amanda Hill, Caroline McLain Hillmer, Carter Neil Hitchcock, Grayson Chance Hitchcock, Kaden Presley Hitchcock, Landon Grant Holben, Ethan Clay Holley, Abigail Rose Hollingsworth, William Thomas Holmes, Klaria Ernese Hooker, Preston Alexander Horton, Khaniaya Raquakkia Taylor Hubbell, Hayden Elizabeth Huggins, Nicholas David Hughes, Patricia Kathleen Hultman, Emerson Moffatt Hunter, Lilly McKay Huynh, Kelly Hyche, Nathan Howard Ivy, Anthony Clay Jackson, Charles Julian Jekabsons, Mathew Elias Jenkins, Ruth Anne Johnson, Grace Elizabeth Jones, Khloe Tzion Joyce, Grace Ann Kamman, Caroline Wood Kennedy, Kaitlyn Elizabeth Kimbrell, Avery Ryan Kincaid, Caroline Grace Koestler, William Downing Lamar, Elizabeth Merrill Langendoen, Noah Patrick Lewis, Desiree Nicole Little, William Jacob Longnecker, Alex Jeffery Loper, Michael Blake Lopez, Frida Esparza Madlock, Antonio Dewane Bailey Madlock, Kyndal Camille Marsh, Jeffrey Coleman Marzouk, Heba Omar Marzouk, Mohamed Omar Mayes, Tamara Octavia Divin Mayo, Thomas Hayes McCormick, Parker Keen McCready, Campbell Elizabeth McCullen, Mary Alice McCullough, Tajah Brianna McDaniel, Emma Kate McKeown, Lucas James McKinney, Savannah Rene’e Merrell, Aubrey Kate Metcalf, Zharia Dominique Meyer, Olivia Nicole Mims, Addison Grace Mitchell, Julia Braden Mitchell, Lilli-Grace Camille Moore, Martha Mikaela Moore, Robert Cole Morales Romero, Luis Antonio Morgan, Joshua Carr Morrow, Dolnesha Ka’Jettie Morse, Emily Elizabeth Mott, Matthew Dean Mullins, Ann McCall Munoz, Aldrin Harvey Munoz, Esmeralda Alondra Murphey, Carole Addison Murphy, Anna Lea Murthy, Srujana N. Nalls, Makayla Antoinette Nash, Bo Thomas Neilson, Marjorie Ann Nelson, Olivia Claire Renee Newsom, Anna Grace Newsom, Caroline Virginia Nichopoulos, Alexis Athena Norris, Christian Graham Norris, Niles Spencer O’Neill, Griffin Elliot O’Reilly, Felicity Rose Oliver, Corey Vincent Overby, Ryleigh Grace Parker, Landon Wyatt Parker, Sara Grace Patton, Kathleen Sampson Pearson, Joshua Eli Perkins, John Seton Perrier, Justine Elodie Perry, Knox Nelson Peters, Ann Fava Pettis, Darius Jordan Pittman, Anne Elizabeth Ponder, Stetson Lane Powell, Charles Obie Prillerman, Egypt Ayanna Purdon, Elinor Claire Rankin, Randi Elizabeth Ravishankar, Anish Reynolds, Evangeline Marie Reysen, Summer Victoria Roach, Tejeland Renee Robbins, Lydia Bailey Ross, Taylor Brooke Roth, Andrew Evan Rousseau, Jacob Louis Rowland, Whitman Morse Roy, Jackson Medwick Russell, Abby Grace Rychlak, Olivia Claire Salau, Farid Schove, Mary Dewitt Scott, Tucker Rhodes Scruggs, Michael Andrew Shinall, Ally Virginia Shorter, Tristan Dean Sisk, Syrena Victoriah Smith, Andrew Hartley Smith, Evelyn Gates Smith, Graham Benjamin Smith, Tyler James Smith, Virginia Madeline Smith, William Alexander Sockwell, Ryan James Solinger, Eli Charles Southern, Derrius Ke’Shaun Spears, Sydney Nicole Sterling, Benjamin Dakota Stewart, John Franklin Stinnett, Parker Joseph Stone, Anthony Cade Sudduth, Margaret Ann Sudduth, Virginia Kathryn Surbeck, Collin Queiroz Tann, William Harrison Tannehill, Margaret McKenzie Tatum, Julien Rundell Thompson, Grace Jean Thompson, Julie Marie Tidwell, Vasilios Zachery Tingle, Brooklyn Noelle Toma, Emily Anne Torrent, Charles Joseph Torrent, David Allan Tosh, Dennis Stone Treloar, Avery Elise Trott, Joseph Howard Tyner, Susan Rebecca Upton, Morgan Mackenzie Urbina, Alenys Van Ness, Morgan Alexandra Vijayasankar, Akshaya Wadlington, Hiram Donavon Waller, Sara Katherine Wang, Qi Hang Warrington, Wesley Anne Watts, Ana Brooke Watts, Brandon Hugh Waxler, Elijah Latimer Webb, Hollin Sebastein Webster, Lindsey Marie Wheeler, Kayla Kaprice Wheeler, Sophia Pauline White, Brian Garrett White, Jammie Marcell White, KeMariaha Elise White, Lindsey Cameron Whitehead, Dalton Garvis Whitwell, Davis Carroll Wicker, Eli Scott Wilfawn, Quentin Carter Wilkins, William Thomas Williams, Tyler Jamal Wilson, Paschal Peolia Woodard, Niquisha Monquie Yerger, Frank Montague Young, Jalon Kershun

Courtesy of the Oxford School District

For more questions or comments email us at hottytoddynews@gmail.com. 

The post Oxford School District’s Honor Rolls for the First Nine Weeks appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

[theangryhistoriananna]

Can you recommend some of the history books you like and maybe some historical fiction that is enjoyable? If it is not a problem of course.

Non-Fiction

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn-Eric Ives 

Thomas Cranmer-Diarmaid MacCulloch 

The Boy King Edward VI and the Protestant Reformation-Diarmaid MacCulloch

The Life of Mary Queen of Scots-John Guy 

Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford-Julia Fox 

 Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens-Jane Dunn

George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat-Claire Ridgeway and Cherry

 Katherine Howard: A New History-Conor Bryne 

The King's Reformation: Henry VIII and the Remaking of the English Church- G.W. Bernard

Burghley: William Cecil and the Court of Elizabeth I- Stephen Alford 

Letters From Liseolette-Translated and Edited by Maria Knoll 

 The First Crusade- Thomas Asbridge 

Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years-Diarmaid MacCulloch 

The Pirate Wars-Peter Earle 

The Early Church-Henry Chadwick 

Seafaring Women-David Cordingly 

Under The Black Flag-David Cordingly 

[bowlsister75-blog]

Grange Hill cast are reunited on This Morning

School reunion: The cast of Grange Hill meet again on This Morning FORTY years after the show first hit screens – having gone on to be locksmiths, PR gurus and City workers (but what happened to their other co-stars?)

Children's drama set at a North London comprehensive first aired in 1978  

Lee MacDonald who played Zammo McGuire now runs locksmith business

Terry Sue-Patt was found dead aged 50 in 2015 after battling a drink problem  

Todd Carty has successful soap career while John Alford was busted for drugs 

By Unity Blott and Siofra Brennan For Mailonline

Published: 13:29 GMT, 20 November 2018 | Updated: 16:48 GMT, 20 November 2018

Some of the best-loved cast members of Grange Hill have been reunited 40 years after the much-loved children's drama series first hit screens.

Fans were left feeling nostalgic after seeing Lee MacDonald (Zammo), Paula-Ann Bland (Claire) and Lisa York (Julie) on the This Morning sofa on Tuesday.

The trio, who were there to promote the release of series 5 on DVD, were joined by the show's creator Phil Redmond as they reminisced about the show's heyday.

The series broke new ground when it first crashed onto the scene in 1978, thanks to its gritty and realistic portrayal of life at a north London comprehensive, which was a world away from the more sanitised kids' TV dramas that had gone before it.

Grange Hill stars (pictured L-R: creator Phil Redmond, Paula-Ann Bland, Lee MacDonald and Lisa York) left fans feeling nostalgic when they reunited on This Morning's sofa today

Grange Hill, which launched the careers of a whole generation of British child stars,  celebrates its 40th anniversary this year (pictured in 1981, left to right: actors Paula Taras, Lee Sparke, Erkan Mustafa, Alison Bettles, Nadia Chambers and Lee MacDonald)

From affairs with teachers to heroin addiction, the writers didn't fail to tackle hard-hitting issues.  

The show ended its run on 15th September 2008, making it one of the longest-running series on British TV, but how did the young fast fare after shooting to fame at such an early age?

Here Femail reveals the paths some of the much loved child actors have taken decades on from their small screen stardom.

PAULA-ANN BLAND

Played: Claire Scott 

Actress, entrepreneur and PR boss Paula-Ann Bland played edgy Claire Scott (left) in the hit show, who had a crush on teacher Mr Hopwood. The show began its run on February 8th 1978 on BBC 1, and was one of the longest running programmes on British Television when it ended

The series one cast Grange Hill (left to right) Vincent Hall as Michael Doyle, George Armstrong as Alan Humphries, Mark Eadie as Andrew Stanton, unidentified male, Todd Carty as Tucker, unidentified female, Terry Sue Patt as Benny Green and Robert Morgan as Justin Bennett. Front (left to right) Michelle Herbert as Trisha Yates, Lyndy Brill as Cathy, Linda Slater as Susi McMahon and Ruth Davies as Penny Lewis, 1978

Paula-Ann's edgy character Claire caused a stir by fantasising about teacher Mr Hopwood in her diary, who was then attacked by her overprotective father. 

She also enjoyed a romance with Stewpot, before discovering he was seeing Annette Firman behind her back.

Because of her success on the small screen record company bosses eyed Paula-Ann as a potential 'British Kylie' and she even released a cover version of The Locomotion. 

She left the series in 1985 and continued to act, appearing in TV series such as Spender and Only Fools and Horses. 

In 1988, she caused a stir by posing topless for men's magazine Mayfair. 

During the '90s she turned her back on acting and opened shoe shops called Paola in Knightsbridge and Chelsea before starting her own PR company.

Now aged 50, she's a mother-of-two and is also an ambassador for the Good Grief Trust. 

LEE MACDONALD

Played: Zammo McGuire

Lee MacDonald as Zammo (left) who was the star of one of the series' most hard-hitting storylines when he became addicted to heroin. Now 50 (right), he runs a locksmith business and continues to appear on TV as himself on shows such as Celebrity Pointless

One of the most memorable characters on Grange Hill, Zammo (pictured) became hooked on heroin in arguably the biggest storyline on the school drama which ended in 2008

Lee MacDonald played Zammo and now runs Mentor Lock and Safe Company in Wallington, Surrey. He remains in the public eye appearing on shows such as Celebrity Scissorhands

Lee MacDonald, now 50, was the star of one of Grange Hill's most hard-hitting storylines when his character Zammo became addicted to heroin. 

As a result, he became involved in a number of anti-drugs campaigns encouraging youngsters to 'Just Say No'.

After six years as Zammo, Lee left Grange Hill with critical acclaim for his portrayal of Zammo.

Lee had always had an interest in boxing and continued to develop his skill to a high level but unfortunately a car accident in the early 1990s left him unable to pursue the sport.

Lee has made several TV appearances since leaving Grange Hill, including an episode of The Bill in which his love interest was played by Melissa Wilkes - who also played his girlfriend Jackie Wright in Grange Hill.

Now a father, Lee remains in the public eye appearing as himself on shows such as Celebrity Scissorhands and Celebrity Pointless. He also runs a locksmith business in Wallington, Surrey.

LISA YORK

Played: Julie Marchan

Actress Lisa York (left, in 1986 starring in the 'Just Say No' single and right, today) left the world of acting to pursue a career in the City and is a mother-of-two

Outspoken Julie Marchant was best friends with Fay Lucas, and starred on the show between 1982 and 1987.

She was to try her hand at acting thanks to her love of dancing and enjoyed a five-year romance with co-star Lee Sparke during her time on the show.

After leaving Grange Hill, she spent a stint in Australia before bagging a job in the City - but says she looks back on her time on the show with 'fond memories'.

Now 49, the mother-of-two is a Stock Exchange worker.

TODD CARTY

Played: Peter 'Tucker' Jenkins  

Todd Carty (pictured in his Grange Hill heyday) is well-known for his role as mischievous Tucker Jenkins and even had his own spin-off from the series which ran for three years

Actor Todd Carty, now 55, appearing on Dancing on Ice in January 2014. He went on to become a soap star and has also appeared in pantomimes as well as a stint on EastEnders

Todd Carty, 55, remains one of the show's most famous alumni having remained on TV screens since the first series aired in 1978. His Grange Hill character was so popular, he was given his own spin-off show Tucker's Luck from 1983 to 1985.

He then starred as Mark Fowler in EastEnders from 1990 to 2003, with a groundbreaking storyline when his character was diagnosed with HIV.

But after his departure from the square, he played away from type portraying the villainous PC Gabriel Kent in The Bill.

Plotting a deranged revenge plot on the mother who gave him away involving incest and raping a colleague, psychopathic Gabriel became a serial killer and eventually committed suicide.

As well as continuing to act on stage and screen, he's also delved into producing and directing and made a memorable appearance on Dancing On Ice in 2009 because of his lack of flair.

Todd Carty (pictured at a memorial for late co-star Wendy Richard in London in 2009) went on to have a successful career in several television soaps, including EastEnders

Former Grange Hill star Todd Carty played Mark Fowler for 13 years (pictured at Wendy Richards' 2009 funeral, who played his on-screen mother Pauline Fowler)

After playing nice guy Mark, Todd Carty's next role was killer Gabriel on The Bill, left. He later went on to entertain the nation with his uncoordinated skating, right, on Dancing On Ice

His uncoordinated moves became a ratings draw and in one routine he accidentally skidded through the exit.

As well as starring in panto, he appeared on Celebrity Masterchef in 2014 and  

In 2015, the actor and his eldest son James filmed a documentary, Dangerous Adventures For Boys, for Channel 5 based on the book by Conn and Hal Iggulden

Carty and his eldest son, James, filmed together in a factual television series for Channel 5, Dangerous Adventures For Boys, based on the book written by Conn and Hal Iggulden

Most recently, he appeared in the film Silver Birches in 2017 about an author struggling to rebuild his life after the untimely death of his wife.   

Todd has been with his childhood sweetheart Dina Clarkin since 1990, and they have two sons James and Thomas.

JOHN ALFORD 

Played: Robbie Wright 

Actor John Alford played happy go lucky Robbie Wright between 1985 and 1991. Robbie is best remembered for his romance with Calley Donnington and his friendship with Ziggy Greaves

John Alford, pictured leaving the Court of Appeal in 2000, was jailed for supplying cocaine and cannabis. The star was, jailed for nine months after being convicted of supplying cocaine and cannabis to a bogus Arab prince

Actor John Alford, now 47, played happy go lucky Grange Hill character Robbie Wright between 1985 and 1991. 

Little brother to Jaqui, Robbie is best remembered for his romance with Calley Donnington and his friendship with Ziggy Greaves. 

After leaving the show, he went on to be a regular on ITV series London's Burning playing Billy Ray.

He also enjoyed several top 40 hit singles, produced by Stock/Waterman, following his TV success.

But his fortunes turned when he was written out after being caught in a drugs sting.

The former teenage pin-up was caught by the News Of The World's Fake Sheikh and then served a six-week sentence after being charged.

The actor was found guilty by a jury at London's Snaresbrook Crown Court in 1999 of one count of supplying 2.036 grams of cocaine to 'Fake Sheikh' Mazher Mahmood, as well as a similar charge involving 11.9 grams of cannabis resin.

He struggled to return to his previous success after being released but has had small parts since. He's appeared in Casualty and CBBC show Mile High and had a long-term relationship with Tina Mahon who played Ronnie Birtles. 

In 2016, Mahmood was found guilty of plotting to pervert the course of justice and following the case, it was suggested that up to 72 defendants in criminal cases in which he played a role could apply for convictions to be quashed. 

Alford's case was among those taken up by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

GWYNETH POWELL

Played: Bridget McClusky

Headmistress Bridget McClusky, played by Gwyneth Powell, was one of the longest standing characters in the show appearing on screen between 1981 and 1991 (pictured left, on set on Grange Hill and right, today)

Headmistress Bridget McClusky, played by Gwyneth Powell, was one of the longest standing characters in the show appearing on screen between 1981 and 1991.

The star, now aged 72, had actually trained as a teacher but never taught in the classroom, as she decided to pursue acting instead.

She previously told the BBC that she was determined to make the role more modern because she was only 35 when she took on the role. 

'At first Mrs McClusky was written as a '"twin set and pearls" role but I was quite young at the time and didn't want to play it like that. We started with the clothes and she was quite fashion conscious and chic.

'I was told by lots of people she was a great fillip to young women teachers who started applying for headships.'   

After leaving Grange Hill she appeared in popular shows such as Heartbeat, A Touch of Frost and Holby City. Her most recent TV role was in an episode of Casualty in 2014. 

MICHELLE HERBERT 

Played: Trisha Yates 

Michelle Herbert played bad girl Trisha Yates in the series but after Grange Hill quit acting for good. Michelle moved to Dundee in the 1990s after she left the popular children's series

Michelle played bad girl Trisha Yates in the school drama from 1978 to 1982 but after leaving Grange Hill, Michelle gave up acting and worked for a major sweet manufacturer. 

She made a brief return as Trisha in the final episode of Tucker's Luck, a Grange Hill spin-off based on Todd Carty's character Tucker.

Michelle, now aged 53, moved to Dundee in the early 1990s to bring up her family, where she works alongside her husband running their family glazing business.

She noticed a small dimple on her breast while on holiday in Rome in May 2015.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer and following a mastectomy was given the all-clear. Now she campaigns to raise awareness of the lesser-known symptoms of breast cancer.

TERRY SUE-PATT

Played: Benny Green

Benny Green was the first character to be seen on screen when the show started. Actor Terry Sue Patt was discovered aged 14 by a talent scout while playing football in the park

Terry Sue-Patt, who played Benny, sadly died in October 2015 and was discovered in his flat by police. He was found lying face down in bed and reports suggested his body may have lain undiscovered for a month

As Benny Green, Terry Sue-Patt was the first character to ever be seen on the show and became one of the most popular characters.

He was discovered aged 14 by a talent scout while playing football in the park and enjoyed success in 1989 film The Firm, starring alongside Gary Oldman and Phil Davis.

He said: 'I basically played myself in Grange Hill. There weren't many black actors about on TV at that time. 

'I had a great time, getting time off school to play football. It was a bit of a dream come true, really.'

There weren't many black actors about on TV at that time 

He also had minor roles in other TV shows including Desmonds, General Hospital and Jackanory.

In October 2015, Terry was sadly found dead at his London home, aged 50, following a battle with alocholism.  

He was found lying face down in bed and reports suggested his body may have lain undiscovered for a month.

Todd Carty said he was 'deeply saddened' by the sudden death of his Grange Hill co-star. Taking to Twitter, he said: 'Deeply saddened by the news of a dear friend Terry Sue-Patt passing away. Thoughts with his family RIP xxx.' 

They played best friends Tucker Jenkins and Benny Green. The pair left the show in the early 1980s just four years after joining but remained friends throughout their careers.

Alison Bettles 

Played: Fay Lucas

Alison Bettles played Fay Lucas from 1982 to 1987 in six series of the show (left). She famously took part in the Just Say No campaign (she is pictured on Loose Women in September)

After Alison Bettles' stint as Fay Lucas (pictured), she continued acting with small roles in The Bill and No Strings in the Eighties and Nineties and last appeared on TV screens in 2001

Alison Bettles, now 49, played Fay Lucas from 1982 to 1987 in six series of the show.

Bettles was one of the cast members to take part in the famous Just Say No single, to promote an anti-drugs message after the programme's controversial storyline with Zammo McGuire who became hooked on heroin as a child.

The single reached number five in the charts in 1986. 

In 1988, Alison appeared in an EastEnders spin-off called Civvy Street, set during the second world war, playing a young Ethel Skinner.

She continued acting with small roles in The Bill and No Strings in the Eighties and Nineties and last appeared on British TV screens in London's Burning in 2001.

Now married with four children, she is a qualified beauty therapist and has reportedly set up a freight business. Meanwhile two of her sons have followed in her acting footsteps, clinching roles in Doctor Who and EastEnders.

Erkan Mustafa 

Played: Roland Browning

Pictured as Roland Browning, actor Erkan Mustafa was an iconic and well-loved character in the series. Fans will remember the youngster was bullied for being overweight (left). After leaving the school drama in 1987, he went on to act in two series of Chef! with Lenny Henry (Mustafa is pictured on Lorraine earlier this year, right)

Erkan Mustafa found fame in the Eighties as Roland 'Roly' Browning who was bullied for being obese. 

He played the role for six years and became an iconic character in the series, suffering horrific bullying at the hands of Gripper Stebson.

By the time he left Grange Hill six years later, Roland was able to stand up for himself and had developed a talent for foreign languages. 

After leaving the school drama in 1987, he went on to act in two series of Chef! with Lenny Henry as well as several episodes of Blackadder.

He still teams up with Lee 'Zammo' MacDonald for public appearances and charity events.

Erkan was also instrumental in bringing the cast back together for a 2009 reunion at Sound nightclub in London's Leicester Square.

Now 48, he continues to act, write and direct according to his Twitter profile.   

George Christopher 

Played: Ziggy Greaves

George Christopher played Ziggy Greaves who was a scamp like original character Tucker. He now works fro a taxi firm but still acts and writes his own scripts

Popular Ziggy Greaves (played by George Christopher, left, with co-star John Alford, right on set in 1986) arrived at Grange Hill in 1986 and spent four years on the show, with his character compared to original scamp Tucker in the first series

Popular Scouser Ziggy Greaves arrived at Grange Hill in 1986 and spent four years on the show, with his character compared to original scamp Tucker in the first series.

He went on to appear in Brookside as Little Jimmy Corkhill, and is now aged 48.

George has also appeared in numerous theatre productions, including some he's written himself and is currently working on a stage version of Papillion.

He reunited with some of his Grange Hill class mates for Channel 4's Bring Back Grange Hill and also works for a taxi firm.

John Holmes 

Played: Luke 'Gonch' Gardener

Luke 'Gonch' Gardener stepped into the shoes of Pogo Patterson as Grange Hill's ginger entrepreneur, joining the cast in 1985. 

Always full of money making schemes, Gonch was a wheeler dealer who ran a toast bar, a dating agency, a homework service and a PE kit lending scheme all from the classroom. 

In 1989, during Gonch's last series, he fell in love with Mandy Freemont. 

Actor John Holmes left the show to complete his education and studied at the University of East Anglia, where he eventually became president of the Student Union for several years. 

John gave up acting after Grange Hill and now works as the manager of a casino. 

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Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6409617/The-cast-Grange-Hill-reunited-Morning.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

[gordonwilliamsweb]

Lost On The Frontline

America’s health care workers are dying. In some states, medical personnel account for as many as 20% of known coronavirus cases. They tend to patients in hospitals, treating them, serving them food and cleaning their rooms. Others at risk work in nursing homes or are employed as home health aides.

“Lost on the Frontline,” a collaboration between KHN and The Guardian, has identified 653 such workers who likely died of COVID-19 after helping patients during the pandemic.

We have published profiles for 113 workers whose deaths have been confirmed by our reporters.

Some cases are shrouded in secrecy. Our team contacts family members, employers and medical examiners to independently confirm each death. Many hospitals have been overwhelmed and workers sometimes have lacked protective equipment or suffer from underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to the highly infectious virus. In the chaos, COVID casualties might otherwise get overlooked.

This project aims to document the lives of U.S. health workers who die of COVID-19, and to understand why so many are falling victim to the pandemic.

  Lost On The Frontline

This project aims to document the life of every health care worker in America who dies from COVID-19. If you have a colleague or loved one we should include, please share their story.

    A Former Marine Whose Altruism Shined In The Operating Room

(Courtesy of Valerie Alford)

Jerry Alford

Age: 60 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Date of Death: April 22, 2020

Read More

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OSHA Probing Health Worker Deaths But Urges Inspectors To Spare The Penalties Apr 22

True Toll Of COVID-19 On U.S. Health Care Workers Unknown Apr 15

Jerry Alford brought the same meticulous care to nursing he’d learned as a reconnaissance Marine. He was a stickler for maintaining a sterile workspace and never passed on the chance to lighten a co-worker’s load.

Jerry dedicated 32 years to nursing and spent 27 of them married to Valerie, a trauma ICU nurse. Together they raised three sons and had three grandchildren.

When the pandemic hit, Jerry transferred to the emergency room, where Valerie believes he contracted COVID-19, despite access to personal protective equipment. Jerry’s employer did not respond to questions about whether he may have contracted the virus at work.

Jerry had celebrated his 60th birthday in January with a blowout surprise party. His wife and sons invited family he hadn’t seen in years. “Not knowing that was going to be his last birthday,” said Valerie, “that’s the best thing I could have done for him.”

— Suzannah Cavanaugh, City University of New York | Published June 17, 2020

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An Urgent Care Physician Beloved By His Patients

(Courtesy of Nikki Friedman)

Arthur Friedman

Age: 62 Occupation: Urgent care physician Place of Work: Independent Physician Association of Nassau/Suffolk counties in Smithtown, New York Date of Death: April 30, 2020

When Arthur Friedman did not get into medical school in the United States, he enrolled in a school in Tampico, Mexico, teaching himself Spanish. “He was willing to do whatever it took,” said Eric Friedman, his son.

Arthur went on to open his own urgent care facility in Commack, New York. Though he was best known for his decades of work there, he was working at a clinic in Smithtown over the past year.

Arthur loved boating, the outdoors and hoped to retire soon in Florida, to be near his children. When COVID-19 hit, he put those plans aside.

“He seemed like a superhero to us. Nothing fazed him,” said Nikki Friedman, his daughter. Arthur began to experience symptoms on April 10 and tested positive shortly after. (His employer did not respond to requests for comment.)

He died on April 30 and was buried next to his youngest son, Greg, who died in 2014.

Scores of Arthur’s former patients reached out to his children after his death to express their love and gratitude for him.

— Madeleine Kornfeld, City University of New York | Published June 17, 2020

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A Former Foster Child Who Was Charting Her Own Path

(Courtesy of the Fuqua family)

Clair Fuqua

Age: 28 Occupation: Receptionist Place of Work: Pineville Children’s Clinic in Pineville, Louisiana Date of Death: April 2, 2020

Clair Fuqua was figuring out her path in life.

On her phone, she saved pictures of wedding dresses and venues, anticipating a proposal from her boyfriend of over two years, according to her parents, Curt and Claudia Fuqua. With an infectious smile, Clair welcomed young patients to the clinic, but she was looking forward to other roles in life.

“She was finally going to decide what she was going to do,” Curt said.

Her parents, who adopted Clair and two of her younger siblings when she was 10, hoped she would follow her passion for adoption and foster care into a career. Clair valued the love and stability of her forever family; before their adoption, Clair and her siblings had lived in six different foster homes.

When the coronavirus surfaced in Louisiana, Clair was already fighting bronchitis. At work, she wore a mask to keep her cough to herself. Days after a colleague was diagnosed with COVID-19, Clair developed a fever.

Clair’s employer declined to confirm how many staff members had become sick with COVID-19 or to comment for this story.

Clair was hospitalized on March 22.

“Everyone thought she would pull through,” Curt said.

In Clair’s honor, friends have donated Bibles and more than $2,100 to a local charity that supports children in the foster care system.

— Michaela Gibson Morris | Published June 17, 2020

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A Loving Mother And Nurse Who ‘Always Looked Tremendous’

(Courtesy of Scott Papetti)

Marybeth Papetti

Age: 65 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: CareOne at Livingston Assisted Living in Livingston, New Jersey Date of Death: March 24, 2020

Marybeth Papetti cared for beautiful things. She planted a garden filled with “a thousand different colors” of flowers, according to her son, Scott Papetti. Her nails, hair and makeup were always done, whether hanging out with girlfriends or dining out with her husband. “She always looked tremendous,” said Scott.

“You wouldn’t have thought she had any health issues,” said Scott, referring to her pulmonary fibrosis, a condition where lung tissue is scarred and blocks oxygen from passing through freely.

Scott does not know where his mother contracted the novel coronavirus, or whether she had adequate PPE at work. Marybeth worked as the director of nurses at an assisted living facility in New Jersey, which, as of June 11, had reported 39 cases of COVID-19 among residents and staff and 15 deaths. But she also attended parties and continued regular appointments with a pulmonologist.

Papetti went to the hospital on March 12 with a fever and shortness of breath. She stayed there for two weeks before she died.

Almost everyone who sent messages after Marybeth passed talked about how well put together she was, according to Scott. “She would have been a wreck with not getting her hair done,” he joked.

— Lila Hassan | Published June 17, 2020

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Pitching In After Retirement, Traveling Nurse Was An Adventurer

(Courtesy of Tiffany Olega)

Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega

Age: 63 Occupation: Traveling registered nurse Place of Work: Various hospitals in Los Angeles County Date of Death: March 29, 2020

Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega wasn’t what you’d call shy. At her daughter’s basketball games, she was the loudest voice in the bleachers. She dressed head-to-toe in purple: purse, glasses, phone, scrubs. She was Kobe Bryant’s No. 1 fan. And she loved sharing stories with patients.

Her oldest daughter, Tiffany Olega, recalled meeting her mother’s patients.

“They’d say, ‘Your mom has told me all about you!’” she recounted. “She didn’t just do her rounds and disappear.”

Even after retiring in 2017 from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, she couldn’t stay away. She filled in at hospitals that were shorthanded. In between, she traveled the globe. In 2019, she visited Germany, Japan and China.

She had a cruise planned in March. When it was canceled because of the coronavirus, she took shifts at various hospitals in Los Angeles County, hoping to help out. Olega doesn’t know if her mom cared for COVID patients. But Castro-Olega and her twin daughters — Olega’s younger sisters — developed symptoms in mid-March. All three wound up hospitalized. Castro-Olega never came home.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti honored her as the first health care worker to die of COVID-19 in L.A. County.

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published June 12, 2020

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Phlebotomist Often Struck Patients’ Funny Bones

Jess Fajardo (Left) and her friend Maria Hernandez (Courtesy of Maria Hernandez)

Jessica ‘Jess’ Fajardo

Age: 30 Occupation: Phlebotomist Place of Work: Center for Hypertension and Internal Medicine in Odessa, Texas Date of Death: April 12, 2020

Jessica “Jess” Fajardo had the same best friend for 28 of her 30 years: Maria Hernandez. They hung out in school and after school. They got jobs at a restaurant and, later, a video arcade. They rented an apartment.

Even when Hernandez married, moved away and had children, they talked or texted daily. “She would take care of anybody she could,” Hernandez said.

In phlebotomy, Fajardo found a career she loved. Patients loved her, too — even though her job was sticking them with needles. More than one commented on her sense of humor, her skill, her bubbly cheer.

In late March, Fajardo started coughing, but with no identified coronavirus cases in the county, she was diagnosed with asthmatic bronchitis. It got worse. When a colleague was hospitalized with COVID-19, Fajardo went for a test. Days later, she sought emergency care.

Dr. Madhu Pamganamamula, who runs the clinic where Fajardo worked, said precautions had been in place since mid-March. Ultimately, six employees tested positive for the virus; four others tested positive for the antibodies.

Hospitalized and intubated, Fajardo’s condition appeared to be improving. But she died after doctors removed her ventilator. Said Hernandez, “she was an amazing friend.”

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published June 12, 2020

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A ‘Protective’ Presence, He Drove Seniors To Medical Appointments

(Courtesy of Rebecca Garrett)

Brian Garrett

Age: 45 Occupation: Van driver for patients Place of Work: Columbine Health Systems in Fort Collins, Colorado Date of Death: March 31, 2020

Brian Garrett had classic COVID-19 symptoms: cough, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulty and loss of taste. But he fell ill early in the pandemic’s U.S. spread, his wife, Rebecca, said, and the health clinic he visited said it was probably the flu.

By March 23, the otherwise vigorous, nearly 6-foot-5 father of four (ages three to 20) told Rebecca, “Something’s just not right inside.” He was admitted to the hospital that day. County health officials registered his as a COVID-19 death.

Garrett, who transported senior residents to medical appointments, became ill before the use of protective gear became widespread. “We had that conversation that all these people would be so vulnerable,” Rebecca said. “He became ill so early on that no one was [wearing] masks.”

A spokesperson for his employer did not respond to requests for comment about whether Garrett was exposed to COVID-19 at work.

On Facebook, Garrett’s nephew, Brandon Guthrie, posted that Brian was a protective figure. “He was our tall older brother,” Guthrie wrote. Despite his imposing stature, it was his kindness that stood out. In an interview, Guthrie said, “He genuinely cared about everybody.”

— Sharon Jayson | Published June 12, 2020

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From A Traumatic Childhood To A Life ‘Bigger Than Himself’

(Courtesy of the Simpson family)

James Simpson

Age: 28 Occupation: Mental health technician Place of Work: Sunstone Youth Treatment Center in Burien, Washington Date of Death: April 10, 2020

James Simpson’s difficult childhood in the foster care system led him to a career at a youth mental health center — where he worked with kids who reminded him of himself. “He had been through so much trauma and abandonment as a child,” said Chezere Braley, his cousin. “And he did not become a product of his environment.”

James’ sister Kamaria Simpson described him as the life of the party. “He was always smiling, even if he was having a bad day,” she said.

James’s family believes he contracted COVID-19 during an outbreak at work, where eight of the center’s 15 residents were infected. Sunstone waited over a week before telling James he may have been exposed to the virus, Kamaria said. She said the center also delayed in providing employees with adequate protective gear and that when her brother became sick, he was told to come in anyway. On April 6, he was sent home with a fever; he died in his apartment four days later.

In a written statement, Sunstone’s parent company, Multicare, said the organization “took early and aggressive steps to prevent the spread of the virus” at work, including “early access to PPE, sanitizer, training for staff and testing.” It added that the company’s policy was always to direct staff to stay home when sick.

Braley and Kamaria said they’re grieving, but they’re also angry. “He risked his life,” said Braley. “He deserved so much better.”

— Holly DeMuth, City University of New York | Published June 12, 2020

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A Physician Assistant Who Mentored Residents At His Hospital

(Courtesy of Alexander Beylinson)

Alex Bass

Age: 52 Occupation: Physician assistant Place of Work: NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York Date of Death: April 10, 2020

Alex Bass was technically a physician assistant, but his patients all called him “Dr. Bass,” a title his boss said was well-deserved.

“His patients often sent us letters, thanking us for the services that he provided and saying how great he was,” said Dr. Abdo Kabarriti, chief of urology at Coney Island Hospital.

Bass moved to the U.S. from Ukraine in his mid-20s. Rather than redoing medical school, he decided to become a PA. His extensive knowledge led him to mentor numerous urology residents.

“He helped a lot of people really become who they are today,” Kabarriti said.

When Bass noticed a fever spike in mid-March, he stopped going to work and made an appointment with Dr. Alexander Beylinson, his primary physician and friend of 26 years.

He arrived at his office on March 20 looking “very sick,” so Beylinson tested him for COVID-19 and sent him to the hospital.

A few days later, the test came back positive. At that point, it was too difficult for Bass to talk. Soon after, he was put on a ventilator, until he died.

The hospital did not comment on whether Bass had worked with COVID-19 patients.

Beylinson was one of the 10 people at Bass’ funeral. He doesn’t feel he achieved closure, he said, and still considers Bass his “hero.”

— Shoshana Dubnow | Published June 10, 2020

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‘There Were So Many Things She Had Unfinished’

(Courtesy of Brittany Mathis)

Dulce Garcia

Age: 29 Occupation: Clinical interpreter Place of Work: University of North Carolina Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina Date of Death: May 26, 2020

Dulce Garcia loved to dance. On weekends, she would escape with friends to the Luna Nightclub in Durham, where they would romp to bachata, merengue and reggaetón. “It was our ritual,” said Brittany Mathis, one of her close friends.

At dawn, those unable to safely drive would sleep over at Garcia’s. “She was the group mom,” Mathis said. “She’d tell us, ‘We don’t want to lose anyone.’”

Garcia was “the rock and foundation” for her family, Mathis said. As a teen, Garcia cared for siblings while her parents worked. She also volunteered at the neighborhood Boys & Girls Club.

When Garcia learned about the health care gaps faced by Spanish speakers, she joined the hospital. There, she was “surprised at how much she could help,” Mathis said, “and how many needed her.”

The week after she picked up a Sunday shift, she developed a fever. Mathis was not sure whether she received personal protective equipment (PPE). “Our PPE policies have always followed CDC guidance,” the hospital said through a spokesperson.

The symptoms “wouldn’t go away,” Mathis said. “It just doesn’t feel real. There were so many things she had unfinished.”

— Eli Cahan | Published June 10, 2020

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A Friendly Nursing Assistant Who Worked Into Her 70s

Antonia ‘Tony’ Sisemore

Age: 72 Occupation: Certified nursing assistant Place of Work: Stollwood Convalescent Hospital at St. John’s Retirement Village in Woodland, California Date of Death: April 30, 2020

Antonia Sisemore always wore a smile — around her family, at church and at her job at a retirement home, where she worked through the coronavirus pandemic.

In a Facebook post, her colleagues called her “one of our most talented and dedicated CNAs.” She worked “tirelessly and unfailingly to deliver care, compassion, and love to those more vulnerable than herself,” it said. (Her family declined to be interviewed for this article.)

Comments remarking on her kindness and work ethic poured in from patients and their families. “She went the extra mile to [make] sure I had what I needed and was comfortable,” wrote a former patient. “Tony was one of my mother’s caregivers,” wrote another Facebook user. “She was selfless … it breaks my heart that the residents will no longer have her.” Some mentioned that Sisemore cheered people up with her sense of humor. “I remembered you [danced] in front of me,” another former patient wrote.

Sisemore’s obituary says she battled COVID-19 for four weeks after passing away from complications from the virus. The nursing home where Sisemore worked reported 66 confirmed cases and 17 deaths according to county data. Over half of the infections were among staff members. The facility did not respond to requests for comment.

— Anna Jean Kaiser, The Guardian | Published June 10, 2020

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A Nurse, Family Linchpin And Generous Aunt

(Courtesy of Mario Thompson)

Adlin Thompson

Age: 56 Occupations: Certified nursing assistant and endoscopy technician Places of Work: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Isabella Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation in New York City Date of Death: April 24, 2020

Adlin Thompson had 20 siblings and more than 30 nieces and nephews. Like her, many of them immigrated to New York City from St. Kitts and Nevis in the early 1980s. With such a large family, it was difficult to keep track of everyone, said Adlin’s son, Mario Thompson. But Adlin did — she was the glue who kept the family together.

Adlin worked long hours between her two jobs. When she wasn’t at the nursing home or the hospital, she visited family, and “never came home empty-handed,” often toting gifts of socks or perfume, Mario said.

Adlin cared for patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 at both her jobs. She was always covered in protective gear, said Mario. Still, he worried that her asthma made her particularly vulnerable to the coronavirus. Mario believes she contracted the virus at the nursing home, where he said she had more direct contact with patients.

A spokesperson for the facility said it “followed state guidelines as it relates to infection prevention and control procedures.”

Adlin died four days after testing positive for COVID-19. She was alone in her home, preparing to go to the hospital.

— Lila Hassan | Published June 10, 2020

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Housing Supervisor Committed Herself To Helping The Vulnerable

(Courtesy of Barbara Abernathy)

Michelle Abernathy

Age: 52 Occupation: Residential services supervisor Place of Work: Elisabeth Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest, Illinois Date of Death: April 13, 2020

Barbara Abernathy said she is trying to figure out what to do with six bins of toys her daughter bought for neighborhood children.

Growing up in Chatham, a middle-class neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Michelle Abernathy “was always trying to help somebody,” Barbara said.

Michelle spent decades investigating child abuse and neglect while holding night jobs mentoring children.

A supervisor at a state-run facility for developmentally disabled adults, she bought clothes, games and snacks for residents. A staff memo lauded her “big heart and nurturing personality.”

She fell ill March 28 and was hospitalized April 6, too weak to walk.

Three other workers at the facility died of COVID-19. A spokesperson for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents workers at Ludeman, said that early in the pandemic the staff had a “huge struggle” to get personal protective equipment (PPE).

The Illinois Department of Human Services said it “can’t say precisely” how workers caught the virus and was working to provide sufficient PPE.

After long professing that she was too busy for marriage, Abernathy recently had become engaged to Torrence Jones, a colleague. She had planned to surprise her mother with the news but never had the chance.

— Mary Chris Jaklevic | Published June 5, 2020

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A Loving Bookkeeper Who ‘Had The Most Awesome Laugh’

(Courtesy of Sean Diaz)

Cassondra Grant Diaz

Age: 31 Occupation: Nursing home bookkeeper Place of Work: Chelsea Place Care Center in Hartford, Connecticut Date of Death: April 29, 2020

Cassondra Diaz was a receptionist-turned-bookkeeper at a nursing home in her hometown.

“She was my therapist, my fashion consultant, my hair designer,” said her older sister, Takara Chenice. “I called her my ‘big little sister.’”

Loved ones described her as “an old soul,” loyal to her family, including her husband, Sean Diaz. In their free time, the couple would hit the highway for a long drive, venturing to parks, lakes and the beach.

Her family believes she contracted the coronavirus at work. A spokesperson for Chelsea Place confirmed that the nursing home had COVID cases among staff and patients. It said staffers were provided with personal protective equipment. Despite wearing protective gear, removing her work clothes at the door and showering after work, Cassondra developed symptoms in mid-April.

On April 29, she woke up having difficulty breathing and pain in her leg, said Sean, who called an ambulance. She died that day.

Sean keeps a photo of her in their car. “My six years with her were better than any lifetime I had before her,” he said.

— Madeleine Kornfeld, City University of New York | Published June 5, 2020

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A Doting Family Man, He Was A Long-Standing Fixture At His Hospital

(Courtesy of Susan Ferranti and family)

David Ferranti

Age: 60 Occupation: Hospital equipment coordinator Place of Work: St. Elizabeth‘s Medical Center in Brighton, Massachusetts Date of Death: May 2, 2020

David Ferranti was committed to his two families — both at home and at work. In his job on the engineering unit, he was really part of every team in the hospital, wrote St. Elizabeth’s president, Harry Bane, in a note to employees. “He was always worried about ‘his nurses’ and ‘his departments’ having what they needed to best care for our patients.”

Ferranti worked at the hospital for almost 42 years “and he loved every day of it,” said his father, Savino Ferranti. St. Elizabeth’s was treating many COVID-19 patients when David became infected with the virus, his father said, but it was impossible to say where he caught it. St. Elizabeth’s had no further comment about his case.

Ferranti was a family man “and the greatest son you can imagine,” his father said. He had a wife, Susan, and a son, John.

Ferranti worked in his garden and enjoyed walks in nature. A history buff, he was born in Wiesbaden, Germany. His father, a descendant of Italian immigrants, served in the military there, where he met David’s mother, Renate.

For his family, tragedy hit twice within weeks. David’s aunt Ann Ferranti died of the disease a few weeks before David. The advice David would have given to anyone, said his father, “is to stay safe, whatever it takes.”

— Katja Ridderbusch | Published June 5, 2020

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A Nurse For Whom Family Was Everything — And Patients Were Like Family

(Courtesy of the Mazzarella family)

Kelly Mazzarella

Age: 43 Occupation: Clinical nurse manager Place of Work: Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital in Mount Vernon, New York Date of Death: May 8, 2020

Even as a girl, Kelly Mazzarella had her sights set on helping others. She turned this innate altruism into a 16-year career at a community-based teaching hospital.

Karen Jedlicka was blown away by the care her big sister showed every patient. “People would be going through the worst things in their lives and she was just there for them,” Jedlicka said.

Mazzarella showed that same compassion with her husband, Ronnie Mazzarella, and daughters, Hailey and Kristina. She never missed an opportunity to tell her daughters how proud they made her, Jedlicka said.

In July 2019, Mazzarella was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that brought on painful bouts of swelling. She worked on and off through March, helping with the influx of COVID patients. She was diagnosed on April 2 and died five weeks later. Her employer did not respond to requests for comment.

Nicol Maursky, a lifelong friend, organized a GoFundMe for the family. A staggering outpouring has brought in close to $75,000.

“She just had such a love and a light that emanated from her,” Jedlicka said. It’s “very comforting to know everybody felt the same way that we did.”

— Suzannah Cavanaugh, City University of New York | Published June 5, 2020

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A Proud New Orleanian And Community Caretaker

(Courtesy of Talisa Pace)

Jana Prince

Age: 43 Occupation: Case manager Place of Work: Salvation Army in New Orleans, Louisiana Date of Death: April 6, 2020

A “natural New Orleanian,” Jana Prince was bubbly and loving, her brother Paul Prince said.

Since high school, Jana knew she wanted to be a social worker. She grew up with cerebral palsy, wearing a leg brace and diligently practicing physical therapy so she could walk. Kids bullied her about her disability, but nothing would stop Jana from connecting with her community.

“She was trying to share her strength with other people, because she just didn’t want to see people suffer,” cousin Talisa Pace said. “She really wanted to help the black community.”

One day in mid-March, Jana had trouble breathing, Paul said. She was hospitalized for more than a week before she was intubated, and died the next day. The family said they did not know whether she was infected at work, especially given how early she became infected; the Salvation Army declined to comment.

Her mother, Barbara Prince, died of the virus three days later.

The duo lived together and got on like Laverne and Shirley. They often took care of Paul’s twin 6-year-old boys. “I don’t know how one would have survived without the other,” Paul said.

Jana and Pace had dreamed of opening a coffee shop and counseling center. “She would have been the highlight of the whole place,” Pace said.

— Theresa Gaffney, City University of New York | Published June 5, 2020

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‘She Always Listened And Never Judged’

(Courtesy of Tiana Mohabir)

Tina Reeves

Age: 58 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Pickaway Correctional Institution in Orient, Ohio Date of Death: April 27, 2020

When Tina Reeves visited her grandchildren, music would blast from the car. Wale’s “On Chill” rang out: “Trying to hear all your problems, so I can lighten the load.”

“She loved her music,” said daughter Tiana Mohabir, “even though she had no rhythm for squat.”

Reeves had an ear for the rhythm in other people’s lives, though. Younger co-workers called her “Mother Advice,” Mohabir said. In interactions with prisoners and officers alike “she always listened,” Mohabir said, “and never judged.”

She called her three daughters daily, “checking in on all of us.”

When Reeves started coughing in early April, Pickaway Correctional had already reported more than 1,500 cases of COVID-19.

“PPE [personal protective equipment] was, and continues to be, available to staff,” a prison spokesperson said. The family said their mother did not have access to adequate PPE.

By April 13, Reeves was hospitalized with COVID-19. She called her daughter to ask her to take care of paying her utility, insurance and cable bills. “I didn’t think twice,” Mohabir said, “because I didn’t want them shut off when she got home.”

Within 24 hours, Reeves was intubated. On the bedside table, her phone kept ringing.

— Eli Cahan | Published June 5, 2020

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An ‘Icon,’ Hospital Secretary ‘Brightened Every Situation’

(Courtesy of Glenna Swann)

Joan Swann

Age: 70 Occupation: Intensive care unit secretary Place of Work: Kent Hospital in Warwick, Rhode Island Date of Death: April 29, 2020

When things were slow at the hospital, Joan Swann would head down to the gift shop.

If someone was having a hard day — the security guard, the patient transporter, the barista — she might buy them a candle. Or charm bracelet. Or a Vera Bradley handbag.

“She brightened every situation,” said Glenna Swann, her daughter. A former nurse, Joan coached trainees from behind the administrative desk. They called her an “icon” who was the reason many stayed working in the intensive care unit.

When Joan was admitted to the hospital, those she had long cared for returned the favor. Her isolation room was adorned with blue hearts, and following her intubation, the nurses would FaceTime the family in. During quiet hours, they sat at her bedside.

The hospital did not respond to requests for comment.

After Joan died, the family found “thousands upon thousands” of unused greeting cards, sorted by occasion (weddings or Christmas) and emotion (sympathy or humor).

In the coming weeks, Joan’s cherished grandson, Adam, will complete high school. Glenna is still choosing from among Joan’s graduation cards for him.

— Eli Cahan | Published June 5, 2020

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In A Family Who Lost Both Mother And Son, Food Was Love

(Courtesy of Lloyd Torres)

Louis Torres

Age: 47 Occupation: Food service director Place of Work: Queens Boulevard Extended Care Facility in Woodside, New York Date of Death: April 8, 2020

Louis Torres went into the family business. He grew up adoring his mother’s Philippine home cooking, so it was natural to channel his passion for food into comforting others. As a food service director at a nursing home in his native Queens, he could cook and work in health care as his mother did.

Feeling terrible on March 30, Louis called his older brother, Lloyd, after work. “He was struggling to make it from the subway station,” Lloyd said.

Louis lived with his mother, Lolita, 73, a retired hospital clerk. She also had severe COVID-19 symptoms.

By the next day, mother and son had been taken by ambulance to separate hospitals. In the chaos, Lloyd said, it took an entire day of panicked calls to find their mother, who was still in the emergency room.

A few days later, Lloyd was able to pray the rosary with Lolita over the phone, and it seemed to calm her. Before they hung up, she asked that Lloyd take care of his brother. Louis made the same request about his mother before going on a ventilator.

“Their last words to me [were to] take care of each other, my God,” Lloyd said, his voice cracking.

On April 7, Lolita died. Louis died the next day.

In the weeks since then, Lloyd was comforted by a powerful dream.

“I woke up and smelled the frying of food,” he said, invoking his mother’s cooking. “That’s how she showed her love.”

— Kathleen Horan | Published June 5, 2020

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Theater Brought Them Together, Then Life Imitated Art

(Courtesy of Harriet Clark Webber)

Barry Webber

Age: 67 Occupation: General surgeon Place of Work: Mount Sinai Queens in New York City Date of Death: April 18, 2020

Barry Webber wanted to understand how things worked. That curiosity and drive motivated him to reconstruct an old Jeep, build a computer, take up rock climbing and, of course, become a surgeon.

He pursued medicine when he realized he wasn’t going to become a concert pianist, said his wife, Harriet Clark Webber.

They met when Harriet was a dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and Barry moonlit as a supernumerary — a non-dancing extra on stage — for the company. “He just wanted to be around the theater,” she said.

Barry honed his surgery skills in a Brooklyn emergency room in the 1980s. “It was a rough time to be in an ER in Brooklyn,” Harriet said. “He was treating a lot of gunshot wounds and trauma.”

They married in 1996 and had two sons, now 22 and 20.

Like so many Americans, when COVID-19 struck, the couple watched “Contagion,” a 2011 film about a pandemic. Barry said it gave him a bad feeling.

On March 27, his fears were realized. He texted his wife: “I’m sick.”

Harriet believes he contracted the virus at work before the hospital ordered the universal use of protective gear.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published June 5, 2020

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Brooklyn Radiologist Was ‘Kind, Simple, Loving And Devoted’

David Wolin and his daughter, Helena Cawley (Courtesy of Helena Cawley)

David Wolin

Age: 74 Occupation: Radiologist Place of Work: The Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City Date of Death: March 30, 2020

By 10 a.m. on Sundays, David Wolin and his wife, Susan, would have completed one-quarter of the New York Times crossword.

When the grandchildren arrived, Wolin greeted them with bagels, lox, whitefish “and the best scrambled eggs in the entire world,” said Helena Cawley, his daughter.

Wolin was “kind, simple, loving and devoted.” A radiologist specializing in mammography, he was “committed to learning everything he could,” Cawley said. “The latest medical journal was always on his nightstand.”

He and Susan would skip off to their home upstate on Wolf Lake, where they might take out a rowboat, a bottle of chardonnay and a brick of Roquefort cheese under the stars. “All they needed was each other,” Cawley said.

In late March, Wolin complained of “bad colds” but deferred testing. Brooklyn Hospital was overwhelmed with COVID-19. A hospital spokesperson could not be reached for comment.

On March 30, when Cawley couldn’t reach her father, she called the doorman of his building. He reluctantly shared the news: Wolin had died overnight.

Susan was hospitalized that day and died weeks later. “We’re grateful in a way,” Cawley said, “because we don’t know how they could have lived without each other.”

— Eli Cahan | Published June 5, 2020

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‘Working There Was The Proudest Accomplishment Of His Life’

(Courtesy of Maria Joy Agtarap)

Romeo Agtarap

Age: 63 Occupation: Emergency room nurse Place of Work: NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City Date of Death: April 24, 2020

Joy and Romeo Agtarap met in Queens in the 1980s, when they were both young nurses, newly arrived from the Philippines. Joy Agtarap said her husband was a jokester who had a vibrant personality that often made him the life of the party. At gatherings, he liked to get people onto the dance floor.

“He’s a very good dancer ― sometimes he made the line dances too hard and people would get lost!” she remembered.

He was also a dedicated emergency room nurse. Agtarap had spent 20 years at what his wife said was his “dream job” at the NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

“Working there was the proudest accomplishment of his life,” she said. He was still seeing patients when the pandemic hit. (The hospital did not respond to requests to comment on whether he had adequate personal protective equipment).

Romeo was diagnosed with COVID-19 in late March. Joy, who had left nursing due to an injury, became sick a week later. They were both hospitalized ― he at NewYork-Presbyterian and she at a facility on Long Island. As Joy recovered, she anxiously awaited updates on her husband’s condition.

“It was the most devastating thing that’s ever happened to me. I was going crazy in there waiting for calls about him,” she said. He died on April 24. “I believe he took the worst of the virus for me, that’s why I’m still here,” she said.

— Anna Jean Kaiser, The Guardian | Published June 2, 2020

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As Nurse And Minister, She Tended To Her Patients, Flock ― And Garden

(Courtesy of Elijah Ailende)

Felicia Ailende

Age: 67 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Bria of Forest Edge in Chicago Date of Death: April 20, 2020

Felicia Ailende was a beacon of unity to her family and members of Maranatha Chapel in Evergreen Park, Illinois, where she was a minister. She counseled many, helping keep marriages intact and lives on track, her son Elijah Ailende said. Though her six children were very different from one another, she saw the best in each.

An immigrant from Nigeria, she planted a garden each year and used the produce to cook West African dishes. When there were too many cucumbers, hot peppers or greens, she shared with neighbors.

At Bria of Forest Edge, a nursing home, Felicia cooked for residents at times or prayed for them, Elijah said.

Administrator Julie Kosman said in a statement that Ailende was a hardworking nurse who was pleasant and funny and had a great rapport with residents.

She is one of three workers at the facility who have died of COVID-19; two residents also died. The facility reported 132 infections.

Elijah said staffers had to reuse surgical masks provided by the facility. Administrators did not tell them when residents and other staff members got the virus “so they could take precautions and safeguard their lives,” he said.

Kosman’s statement says “full PPE” — personal protective equipment — was available to staffers and there is no reason to believe Ailende was exposed to COVID-19 “within our facility.” She “had no known contact with any resident or staff member who showed symptoms or had tested positive for COVID-19.”

— Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published June 2, 2020

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He Practiced What He Preached, Caring For Inmates With Mental Illness

(Courtesy of Gwendolyn Davis)

Bishop Bruce Edward Davis

Age: 57 Occupation: Shift leader for forensic service technicians Place of Work: Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia Date of Death: April 11, 2020

In sermons at his Pentecostal church, Bishop Bruce Davis preached love. On weekdays, he practiced it by feeding, bathing and caring for patients at a maximum-security psychiatric hospital. Davis worked for 27 years at the state facility, said his wife, Gwendolyn Davis.

As a boy, Davis would break his pencils in half to share with his twin sister. At church, he hosted youth parades and gave away computers, bicycles and groceries. He distilled the Bible into simple lessons, she said, once winning over a parishioner with a sermon based on “The Wizard of Oz.”

When COVID-19 emerged, Davis and his co-workers at the psychiatric facility were told they couldn’t wear masks or gloves because it wasn’t part of their uniform, she said. Five days after a close co-worker tested positive for COVID-19, Davis was hospitalized, she said.

More than 70 workers at the hospital have tested positive for COVID-19, according to state data; Davis is one of two who have died. A hospital spokesperson declined to comment on Davis’ case.

After Davis’ illness, his entire household – Gwendolyn, three children and a grandchild – got sick with COVID-19, Gwendolyn said. Their adult son, who has autism, was hospitalized, Gwendolyn said. Their daughter, 22, recovered and returned to work at the same hospital.

“It is extremely hard for her to go back to work there,” Gwendolyn said.

— Melissa Bailey | Published June 2, 2020

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Dedicated Dad And Technologist ‘Was As Smart As They Come’

(Courtesy of Junette Francis)

Devin Francis

Age: 44 Occupation: Radiologic technologist Place of Work: Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami Date of Death: April 8, 2020

Devin Francis was due to get married June 27 to his longtime love, Micela Scott, mother of their 11-year-old daughter, Dekayla.

Scott said her fiancé was a devoted father.

“He’d take [Dekayla] to school every morning. He’d help her with her homework,” she said. “He just wanted peace to his life and us to have a good life.”

“He had a very jovial spirit,” said his youngest sister, Junette Francis.

Devin took a COVID test at Jackson Memorial after his shift on April 6 — it came back positive. His breathing became labored and he died at home early on April 8.

His family and a hospital representative said it was unclear whether he came into contact with patients with COVID-19. Devin also worked in fleet services for American Airlines.

Colleagues admired his work ethic.

“No matter where we were in life, he never had less than two jobs,” said Milton Gonzalez, a hospital co-worker. “He was as smart as they come.”

— Sharon Jayson | Published June 2, 2020

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A Pediatric Neurosurgeon Who Separated Conjoined Twins

(Courtesy of Judy Goodrich)

James Goodrich

Age: 73 Occupation: Pediatric neurosurgeon Place of Work: Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, New York City Date of Death: March 30, 2020

James Goodrich was a renowned pediatric neurosurgeon, best known for separating conjoined twins ― a rare and risky procedure. Over the course of his career, he was directly involved in about 10 cases, advising on dozens more.

A late bloomer academically, Goodrich began his undergraduate studies at age 24, after returning from Vietnam, where he served in the Marines.

“He had seen a neurosurgeon when he was in Vietnam, and he just was fascinated at what they were able to do,” said Judy Goodrich, his wife of 50 years. “I thought, just try to become a doctor first.”

He was also known for innovations regarding conditions affecting the skull. He helped develop standards for treating craniosynostosis, in which the bones of a child’s skull fuse too soon, preventing the brain from growing properly.

Goodrich was an avid collector ― of antique medical books, pre-Columbian medical artifacts, rare watches and fine wines, among other things. He surfed, cultivated bonsai trees and played the didgeridoo.

He had seen patients in the clinic in early March, just before flying to Mexico for a family vacation. He soon began to feel ill, and when he returned to New York, he was diagnosed with COVID-19. He was hospitalized on March 25 and died five days later.

Read more here.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published June 2, 2020

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She Brought ‘Calming Presence’ And Fun To Nursing Home

(Courtesy of Howard Fox Jr.)

Leola Grady

Age: 59 Occupation: Recreational aide Place of Work: Bria of Forest Edge in Chicago Date of Death: April 10, 2020

Leola Grady had planned to be with her son and granddaughter in Mississippi for Mother’s Day but did not live to make the trip.

At the Bria of Forest Edge nursing home, she entertained residents, including with a “good game of cards,” administrator Julie Kosman said. “She had a calming presence about her.”

When Grady fell ill, a nurse at the facility was already sick with the coronavirus. A nursing aide whose name has not been released also died of COVID-19. Staff at the facility, with SEIU union leaders, spoke out saying they were unaware their co-workers were dying until they saw it on the news.

Howard Fox Jr., Grady’s son, said his mother was his best friend. An honest, straightforward and loving person, she enjoyed listening to the blues. “I’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat it,” he said. “It hurts. … I look at our picture. I cry.”

Fox said his mother went to a Chicago hospital with COVID symptoms but was sent home. She was found dead several days later. A Cook County spokesperson confirmed she died of pneumonia due to COVID-19.

Kosman said the facility does not believe Grady or the nurse, Felicia Ailende, “were exposed to COVID-19 within our facility. They had no known contact with any resident or staff member who showed symptoms or had tested positive for COVID-19.”

As of May 27, Bria of Forest Edge has reported 132 coronavirus cases and two deaths to Illinois officials. In the statement, Kosman said it reported worker deaths to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which shows three pending death investigations at the facility.

— Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published June 2, 2020

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Young Nurse Lived A Life Of ‘No Regrets’

(Courtesy of the Guzman family)

Krist Angielen Castro Guzman

Age: 35 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Meadowbrook Manor in Bolingbrook, Illinois Date of Death: May 2, 2020

Krist Guzman packed a lot into her short life. She worked full time while studying to become a registered nurse. She had three children, one a newborn.

Smart, funny and outgoing, she nurtured relationships.

“Hers was a life of no regrets,” said a cousin, Jeschelyn Pilar.

In a Navy family that moved often, she was close with her brother, Anjo Castro.

“She was my role model,” said Castro, who also pursued a medical career as an independent duty corpsman in the Navy.

The pandemic hit home when their uncle, pediatric surgeon Dr. Leandro Resurreccion III, died March 31.

Guzman told family she had seen COVID patients. Worried she didn’t have adequate protective gear, she scrambled to find some online.

Meadowbrook has registered the worst COVID outbreak in Illinois, with more than three dozen deaths. Nursing home spokesperson Marissa Kaplan said in a statement: “Meadowbrook puts the safety and welfare of its residents and staff at the forefront of everything we do.” She did not address whether there was sufficient protective gear.

— Mary Chris Jaklevic | Published June 2, 2020

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Selfless Nephrologist Fought For Her Life While Treating Others

(Courtesy of the Khanna family)

Priya Khanna

Age: 43 Occupation: Nephrologist Place of Work: Khanna Nephrology in Glen Ridge, New Jersey Date of Death: April 13, 2020

Priya Khanna came from a family of doctors, and she knew the risks of contracting the deadly coronavirus. She was immunocompromised and actively seeing patients days before she became ill with COVID-19.

On April 1, Priya was hospitalized in the same facility where her father, Satyender Dev Khanna, had been brought days earlier. He was also being treated for COVID-19.

From her hospital bed, Priya checked in on friends, reviewed patient files and communicated with the physician who was seeing patients in her stead. She continued to do so until she was put on the ventilator.

“She literally worked for others until she could no longer breathe for herself. That was Priya,” said childhood friend Justin Vandergaag. “Always putting others first with a smile.”

“She was a devoted daughter, sister and aunt,” said childhood friend Laura Stanfill. “Her healing gifts extended not only to her patients but, in the many ways, she made everyone in her life feel important and loved.”

Read more here.

— Natalia Megas | Published June 2, 2020

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‘He’s One Of Our Legends’

(Courtesy Stephanie Mahoney)

James ‘Charlie’ Mahoney

Age: 62 Occupation: Pulmonologist Place of Work: SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York City Date of Death: April 27, 2020

James “Charlie” Mahoney eschewed hospital hierarchies.

“He didn’t treat people like underlings,” said his sister, Saundra Chisholm. “He would talk to housekeeping like he would talk to the chief of the hospital. That’s why he was so well respected.”

Growing up on Long Island, Mahoney was an ace student and athlete. He was one of only a handful of black students at his medical school and throughout his training. He and his brother, Melvin Mahoney, worked side by side at SUNY Downstate for many years, a public hospital that treats a mostly minority and low-income patient population.

When the pandemic hit New York in March, Mahoney, who specialized in respiratory care, “ran into the fire,” Melvin said. But his hospital, like other underfunded public institutions in the city, was short of protective equipment and staff.

Mahoney started experiencing symptoms in early April, and was hospitalized soon after. He died on April 27.

“He’s one of our legends ― he’s one of our giants,” said Julien Cavanaugh, a neurology fellow at SUNY Downstate who trained under Mahoney.

Read more here.

— Ankita Rao, The Guardian | Published June 2, 2020

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Psychiatric Nurse Knew Her Patients’ Hometowns And Hobbies

(Courtesy of Eddie Ballard)

Shenetta White-Ballard

Age: 44 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Legacy Nursing and Rehabilitation of Port Allen, Louisiana Date of Death: May 1, 2020

Eddie Ballard was baking “Pecan Delight” pie at the Piccadilly Cafeteria in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when Shenetta White, accompanying her auntie and grandmother, leaned over the buffet counter to grab a Jell-O.

“She gave me this look,” Ballard said, and he gathered the confidence to ask for her number. On their first date he quickly realized “not only was she beautiful, but she was mature beyond her years.”

That maturity manifested across her life.

As a nurse to psychiatric patients, she was adored by those she “saw as people more than just patients,” Ballard said. She knew their parents’ names, their hometowns and hobbies. At home, White-Ballard was “queen of the house,” Ballard said. She handled the errands and the finances, while “her two boys [Ballard and his son, Warren] hung on whatever she asked.”

With a preexisting condition, White-Ballard depended on supplemental oxygen. She died May 1, just three days after developing COVID-19 symptoms.

In an email, a Legacy spokesperson wrote that the facility had followed all guidelines and “had more than enough PPE.”

The first piece of jewelry Ballard bought his wife was a bracelet that read: “Love is patient, love is kind, love never ends.”

“I hadn’t read that in 11 years,” he said, “but boy, it’s still true.”

— Eli Cahan | Published June 2, 2020

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From His ICU Bed, Nurse Planned To Help Fight COVID After Recovery

Christopher Dean with his wife, Natalya Kubaevskaya (Photo by Donna Dean/Courtesy of Natalya Kubaevskaya)

Christopher Dean

Age: 37 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Northport VA Medical Center’s Valley Stream Clinic in Valley Stream, New York Date of Death: April 15, 2020

When Christopher Dean went to the emergency room, he was “absolutely positive” he would be in the hospital a few days, get some fluids and oxygen and then go home.

“He was always optimistic, full of life,” said Natalya Kubaevskaya, his wife of 10 years. “And he had a big heart.”

When tests came back positive for COVID-19, he planned to recover and then help fight the disease by donating blood and plasma. Three weeks later, he was dead.

He had mild asthma, his wife said, but was a healthy man who loved snowboarding, swimming and racquetball.

His father, Alvin Dean, shared on a GoFundMe page that Christopher Dean caught the coronavirus at work. Northport said by email that it provided “PPE in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

Kubaevskaya, who recently finished treatment for breast cancer, said Dean pushed her to keep going.

Daughter Donna, 15, struggles with her adoptive father’s death. “There are moments,” Kubaevskaya said, “when she tries to convince herself that he’s still in the hospital and will come home soon.”

— Katja Ridderbusch | Published May 29, 2020

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A Robotic Surgery Expert Who ‘Just Made Everything Fun’

(Courtesy of the Lopez family)

Maria Lopez

Age: 63 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago Date of Death: May 4, 2020

“What lady? I don’t see a lady here.”

That was the sort of self-deprecating comment Maria Lopez would fire back when teased by a co-worker about an etiquette faux pas in the operating room.

Lopez knew how to break the tension, said chief nurse anesthetist Mary Ann Zervakis Brent, a colleague since 2005. Lopez called everyone “amigo” or “amiga,” regardless of rank.

“She just made everything fun,” Zervakis Brent said.

Lopez was an expert in robotic surgery and trained others to use the equipment.

She taught her two daughters to be independent. The oldest of nine kids, Lopez fought her father’s expectation that she forgo college, said her daughter Maria, who was named for her.

Lopez’s symptoms appeared days after she returned to work from leave for knee surgery. She planned to retire April 30.

In the hospital, Lopez tried to stay positive. Yet during one FaceTime call, daughter Maria said, “she just broke down. She said, ‘I wouldn’t want anyone I love going through what I’m going through right now.’”

A hospital official confirmed in a statement that Lopez died of complications of COVID-19.

— Mary Chris Jaklevic | Published May 29, 2020

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With Retirement In Sight, She Died Awaiting COVID Test Results

(Courtesy of Hannilette Huelgas)

Hazel Mijares

Age: 66 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Amsterdam Nursing Home in New York City Date of Death: March 30, 2020

Faith was central to Hazel Mijares’ life. She was a lay leader at Trinity United Methodist Church in Jersey City, New Jersey.

She was drawn to church as a child in the Philippines, sister Hannilette Huelgas said. Theirs was a big family with nine children. At get-togethers, Mijares always led the prayers.

After a long career, Mijares was finally ready to retire in late March.

She worked through March 13, burned up accrued paid time off, then stopped back a week later for her last day. As she said her goodbyes, she noticed a little cough.

Learning that one of her patients had died of COVID-19, Mijares tried several times to get tested. Her results were expected March 30. When Huelgas called that day, Mijares didn’t answer. She had died waiting for the results, which the family learned were positive.

As of May 24, the nursing home had recorded 45 presumed-COVID deaths. Officials there did not respond to requests for comment, but a phone recording updated May 21 said they had “completed COVID-19 testing of residents” and had “begun testing of all staff.”

“Our dedicated and caring staff are continuing the Amsterdam tradition of providing exceptional care,” the recording noted.

Mijares “had wanted to go to Jerusalem, to the Philippines,” Huelgas said. “And she didn’t even get to enjoy retirement.”

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published May 29, 2020

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You Could Count On Him ‘For Anything’

(Courtesy of Griselda Bubb-Johnson)

Adiel Montgomery

Age: 39 Occupation: Security guard Place of Work: Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York Date of Death: April 5, 2020

When Griselda Bubb-Johnson couldn’t reach her friend Marva — hospitalized with COVID-19 — Bubb-Johnson called her son, Adiel Montgomery.

Montgomery, a security guard in the hospital’s emergency department, found Marva in the ICU. He then did “everything for her,” Bubb-Johnson said. When Marva was cold, he got a blanket. When she was hungry, he got food. When her phone died, he found a charger.

“Some people boast about their children, but I didn’t have to,” Bubb-Johnson said, “because everybody knew you could count on Adiel for anything.”

Montgomery doted on residents as a part-time supervisor at the Urban Resource Institute, a domestic violence shelter. He invited his godbrothers for Golden State Warriors games, Thanksgiving and sometimes for his mom’s renowned oxtail dish.

Two weeks after Montgomery noted he couldn’t taste his lunch, he experienced acute chest pain. When, after 12 hours in the ER, his heart stopped “nobody could believe it,” Bubb-Johnson said.

Montgomery was vocal about a lack of personal protective equipment for hospital security guards, according to a New York Times report. The hospital did not respond to requests for comment.

Montgomery’s 14-year-old daughter, Aaliyah, never got to say goodbye. She wrote a poem to put in the coffin.

“Don’t worry,” Bubb-Johnson told her. “He’ll read it. I promise.”

— Eli Cahan | Published May 29, 2020

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Traveling Nurse ‘Wanted To Be Somebody’

(Courtesy of Daniel Perea)

David Joel Perea

Age: 35 Occupation: Traveling registered nurse Place of Work: Lakeside Health & Wellness Suites in Reno, Nevada, via MAS Medical Staffing Date of Death: April 19, 2020

David Joel Perea would call in from Maine, Vermont, Minnesota and, ultimately, Nevada, with the same request: “Mom, can you send tamales?” Dominga Perea would ship them overnight. This is how she always knew where her son was.

A traveling nurse routinely pulling 80-hour weeks, David “had a tremendous work ethic,” said his brother, Daniel. A young David, returning from his father’s mechanic shop, said, “I don’t want to spend life sweating under a car,” Dominga recalled. “I want to be somebody.”

Dominga was proud of him, “for doing God’s work.”

When “mijito” didn’t respond to her text April 6, Dominga knew something was wrong: “I could always tell how David was. If he said ‘Hi, Mama,’ he was happy. If he said ‘I’m fine, Mom,’ he was tired.”

This time he said neither. “Don’t panic, Mama,” David wrote, “just pray for me. I have the COVID.”

His workplace did not respond to requests for comment.

David FaceTimed with his mother on Easter Sunday. “He was starving, but he struggled even eating mashed potatoes,” Dominga said, “because he couldn’t breathe.” The next morning, he was on a ventilator and never woke up.

— Eli Cahan | Published May 29, 2020

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His Church Became His Second Home

(Courtesy of Lean Carlo Romualdo)

Ritchie Villena

Age: 44 Occupation: Physical therapist Place of Work: SportsMed Physical Therapy clinic in Glen Rock, New Jersey, placed by AHVIA Staffing Solutions in Jersey City Date of Death: April 15, 2020

When Ritchie Villena emigrated from the Philippines in 2011 after studying physical therapy, he struggled. Then he got in touch with Lean Carlo Romualdo, a fellow Filipino physical therapist in New York state. Villena moved in with him and secured a good job at a sports medicine clinic.

He became devoted to his church, Iglesia Ni Cristo, where he spent hours singing with the choir and practicing the organ. “He’s not an outgoing person,” Romualdo said. “But if you ask people in his religious group here in Rockland County, everyone will know him.”

Romualdo’s 7-year-old still plays the “Baby Shark” song Villena taught him on the piano, asking, “Is Uncle Ritchie coming back home?”

It’s unclear how Villena contracted the coronavirus. According to the staffing agency, he worked until March 13 and took ill the following week. On March 26, he called 911 with difficulty breathing; he was hospitalized until his death.

Villena, who only recently gained permanent residency status, hadn’t seen his family in nine years. “Every time his mom calls me, she wants to see Ritchie’s stuff,” Romualdo said. As he gives a video tour of Villena’s room, she can’t stop crying. He promised to pack everything and send it home.

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published May 29, 2020

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Nurse With ‘Heartwarming’ Smile Did Her Best For Her Children

(Courtesy of Anderson Family)

Jenniffer Anderson-Davis

Age: 44 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Meramec Bluffs Life Plan Community in Ballwin, Missouri Date of Death: April 14, 2020

As a single mother, Jenniffer Anderson-Davis was determined to give her three children everything they needed, so she pursued her nursing degree while delivering pizza to make ends meet.

“She always did the best that she could to give them the best life,” her brother Earl Anderson said.

Most recently, Anderson-Davis worked as an admission and discharge nurse at a senior living community. Her mother, Edna Anderson, said that Anderson-Davis was concerned about residents who returned to the facility after visiting Florida (it has since banned reentry for residents who spent time away).

Anderson-Davis tested positive for COVID-19 on April 9 and died at home five days later. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened a fatality investigation at Meramec Bluffs on April 16.

Lutheran Senior Services, the nonprofit that operates Meramec Bluffs, acknowledged Anderson-Davis’ death but did not respond to specific questions about her case. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “Jenniffer’s coworkers remember her as a thorough and well-respected nurse who had a smile that could warm any heart.”

— Cara Anthony, Kaiser Health News | Published May 26, 2020

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A Tireless Nurse, She Loved Her Children And Travel

(Courtesy Stefaney Cicala)

Susan Cicala

Age: 60 Occupation: Registered nurse Places of Work: Northern State Prison in Newark, New Jersey; Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, New Jersey Date of Death: April 4, 2020

Susan Cicala worked long hours. A typical workday began at the hospital surgery department at 5:30 a.m. She’d work there until 2 p.m., and an hour later would start her next eight-hour shift at a nearby state prison. She worked weekends, too.

As for sleep? “She must have slept somewhere, but I don’t know,” her son, Steven Cicala, said with a laugh. “She was the hardest worker I ever met.”

Reminiscing on Facebook, colleagues said she talked about her two children constantly. She started wrapping Christmas presents in May. She loved to travel, to Disney World and national parks, and saw vacations as opportunities to learn about the world beyond New Jersey — on a trip to Hawaii, she delved into the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Cicala became sick in late March and died in early April; her family said they presume she contracted the virus at one of her jobs.

“She didn’t go anywhere else,” Steven said.

As of May 21, the New Jersey Department of Corrections had tallied 152 COVID-19 cases at the prison where Cicala worked; 134 of those diagnoses were among staffers. In early May, the union representing Cicala and other workers filed a safety complaint saying precautions have been inadequate and may have led to Cicala’s death. A spokesperson for the prison health care agency that employed Cicala said that it had followed all state and federal guidelines, and that the staff was provided with personal protective equipment.

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published May 26, 2020

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The Single Mother Dreamed Of Opening A Nursing Home

(Courtesy of Rebecca Gbodi)

Helen Gbodi

Age: 54 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C. Date of Death: April 19, 2020

Helen Gbodi was known for helping elderly neighbors and fellow churchgoers — picking up their medications and groceries and accompanying them on walks. She even dispatched her daughter, Rebecca Gbodi, to shovel snow in neighbors’ driveways.

“Even when she didn’t have a lot, she would always give,” Rebecca said of her mother, who worked long hours to put her children through college and helped pay school fees for other relatives. This year, she embarked on her own dream: crafting plans to open her own nursing home, her daughter said.

Gbodi understood the severity of COVID-19 early on. In March, she called every person in her contacts list, including people she hadn’t talked to in years, to make sure they were aware and taking precautions, her daughter said. Though she did not actively care for patients who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, such patients were being treated on her floor, her daughter said.

Days later, she was fighting for her life. By the time she was hospitalized with COVID-19, she was too weak to lift her arm for a virtual handshake with her daughter on FaceTime.

“At the end of the day, she was willing to put her life in danger for others,” Rebecca said.

— Anna Jean Kaiser, The Guardian | Published May 26, 2020

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Always Upbeat, Patient Transporter Was A Sewing Wiz

(Courtesy of the Ismayl family)

Gabrail ‘Gabe’ Ismayl

Age: 62 Occupation: Patient transport worker Place of Work: Swedish Hospital in Chicago Date of Death: May 6, 2020

Caring, upbeat, always first to arrive at a party. Gabrail Ismayl loved an excuse to don a suit and splash on cologne.

That’s how Fidelline Youhanna remembers her uncle. “Everybody loved Gaby,” she said.

After migrating from Syria in the 1980s, Ismayl ran wholesale clothing shops on Chicago’s North Side. He was a wiz with the sewing machine and enjoyed altering dresses, making curtains and doing creative projects for family and friends.

Later, his people skills were an asset as he wheeled patients where they needed to go.

As the pandemic took hold, Ismayl worked despite health conditions that elevated his risk, Youhanna said.

“I think he just liked his job,” she said. “He made a lot of friends there.”

On May 6, Ismayl was self-isolating in the basement of the house he shared with two sisters. He was short of breath, Youhanna said. By evening, he was dead.

Ismayl was employed by management services company Sodexo. The CEO of its health care division in North America, Catherine Tabaka, said in a statement that his passing “is a tragic loss for Sodexo and we mourn an incredible friend and presence.”

— Mary Chris Jaklevic | Published May 26, 2020

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Charismatic Surgical Technician Taught His Kids To Be ‘Faithful To Your Job’

(Courtesy of the Martinez family)

Juan Martinez

Age: 60 Occupation: Surgical technician Place of Work: University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago Date of Death: April 27, 2020

It was easy to befriend Juan Martinez.

The surgical technician “could start a conversation up with anyone about anything,” said Jose Moreno, an operating room nurse and co-worker.

He went out of his way to teach others what he learned from 34 years in the field, said his son, Juan Martinez Jr., who followed his dad’s career path at the same hospital.

The military veteran and former church pastor set an example “to be faithful to your job,” his son said.

Due to retire April 30, Martinez anticipated spending time with his grandchildren, traveling and opening Bible education centers in Mexico, his family said.

After feeling tired and feverish, he went to be tested for COVID-19 on April 17. His symptoms were so severe that he was taken by ambulance to the hospital where he worked.

Family members said Martinez did not engage in direct patient care but came in contact with staffers who did.

Juan Jr. said that losing his dad has been like a nightmare, and that he and his siblings are “leaning on the Lord and praying a lot, just like how our father taught us.”

— Mary Chris Jaklevic | Published May 26, 2020

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Memory Care Nurse Set Fear Aside

(Courtesy of Jessica Forbes)

Nina Forbes

Age: 56 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Silverado memory care facility in Alexandria, Virginia Date of Death: April 25, 2020

Nina Forbes refused to let fear stop her from living.

She was terrified of flying. But a few years ago, Forbes got on a plane for the first time to watch her younger daughter Jennifer play volleyball.

COVID-19 also scared Forbes, and as a nurse at an assisted living facility, she knew the virus posed a serious risk. Still, she continued showing up to work.

Forbes tested COVID-positive just after Easter. Chills, body aches and a fever kept her from attending family dinner that Sunday. By the following weekend, she struggled to breathe and couldn’t walk on her own. An ambulance took her to the hospital.

Her older daughter, Jessica, said her mother didn’t have the necessary protection at work. Forbes sometimes wore trash bags to protect herself, she said.

In a statement, a representative for the facility said it met the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for personal protective equipment. Employees sometimes used trash bags as an added layer of protection, worn over a disposable gown, according to the representative.

Forbes appeared to do what she wanted even in her final moments. Jennifer was able to visit her mother in the hospital, and Forbes died shortly after she left, Jessica said. “It was like she waited for her to leave.”

— Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, Kaiser Health News | Published May 19, 2020

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A Family Man Who Loved Disney, Took Risks To Help Others

(Courtesy of AMR Southwest Mississippi)

David Martin

Age: 52 Occupation: Paramedic Place of Work: AMR Southwest Mississippi, covering Amite and Wilkinson counties Date of Death: April 22, 2020

On March 22, David Martin changed his Facebook profile picture. Around his smiling face, the frame read, “I can’t stay home … I’m a healthcare worker.”

Outside of work, he was a dedicated family man with two children, known for his love of Disney.

Martin, who covered 1,420 square miles across two rural counties, had cared for people with suspected COVID-19 in the weeks leading up to his death, said Tim Houghton, chief of operations for AMR Southwest Mississippi.

“We do what we do knowing the risks,” Houghton said. But Martin’s death was “a hard hit.”

On March 23, at the end of a shift, Martin told a supervisor he had mild flu symptoms. A month later, he died at a hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

AMR paramedics had N95 masks and protective gear and followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Houghton said. “We have not yet had a shortage.”

In Facebook posts honoring Martin, colleagues described his excitement before trips to Disney World. In his memory, his fiancee, Jeanne Boudreaux, shared a photo of a hot air balloon ride at Disney Springs.

— Michaela Gibson Morris | Published May 19, 2020

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For a 9/11 First Responder, ‘Sitting on the Sidelines Was Never in His DNA’

(Courtesy of Erin Esposito)

Matthew ‘Matty’ Moore

Age: 52 Occupation: Radiologic technologist Place of Work: Northwell Health’s GoHealth Urgent Care in Eltingville, Staten Island, New York City Date of Death: April 17, 2020

Matthew Moore “would give the shirt off his back to help others,” said his sister, Erin Esposito.

A former firefighter and Staten Island native, “Matty” Moore volunteered as a first responder for weeks after 9/11, “even when everyone else stopped going,” Esposito said.

Moore was known as “a gentle giant” in Prince’s Bay, his brother-in-law Adam Esposito said. He was a devoted churchgoer and a beloved member of “The Beach Boys Firehouse” (as Engine 161/81 was nicknamed).

He even came through as Santa Claus, delivering gifts on Christmas morning to the children of two firefighters who died on 9/11.

Moore became an X-ray technologist, cherishing the ability to help those seeking urgent care. When COVID-19 emerged, he continued showing up to work. “Sitting on the sidelines was never in his DNA,” Erin Esposito said.

At the time, the family was reassured that he was receiving the personal protective equipment he needed. Despite his precautions, when Matty contracted COVID-19, it tore through his lungs, which had been damaged at ground zero.

As Matty lay dying, Esposito sought to reassure her brother. “You’ve done enough for us,” she told him, over the phone. Moments later, Matty’s heart stopped beating.

— Eli Cahan | Published May 19, 2020

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‘Gentle Soul’ Had A Brilliant Mind And A Big Heart

Neftali “Neff” Rios

Age: 37 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: St. Francis Hospital’s intensive care unit in Memphis, Tennessee Date of Death: April 26, 2020

Hospital colleagues loved working with Neftali “Neff” Rios. He was humble, kind and capable, a “gentle soul” who always strived to learn something new. Not just smart — “I’m talking extremely intelligent,” his brother Josue Rios said. And he simply loved people. Nursing was a perfect fit.

Neff worked at a small hospital in Clarksdale, Mississippi, then earned his master’s in business administration with an emphasis on health care, and moved to St. Francis, hoping to enter management.

In mid-April, he came down with fever, body aches and a terrible cough and tested positive for the coronavirus. Several family members got sick, too. His parents were hospitalized.

On April 26, Neff collapsed at home, unable to catch his breath. His wife, Kristina, called 911, started CPR and waited for the EMTs. When they arrived, he had already died.

The family believes he was exposed at work. A spokesperson for the hospital declined to comment, citing family privacy.

“Neff was never scared” of catching the virus at work, Rios said. “You take an oath to take care of people, no matter what.”

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published May 19, 2020

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His Warmth And Generosity Brought Diverse Clients To His Pharmacy

(Courtesy of the Titi family)

Saif Titi

Age: 72 Occupation: Pharmacist Place of Work: Noble Pharmacy in Jersey City, New Jersey Date of Death: April 7, 2020

When the pandemic hit, Saif Titi was working six days a week at his Jersey City pharmacy and had no interest in slowing down. As was his way, he wanted to be helpful.

“He didn’t really run it as a business,” said Titi’s son, Justin. “He wasn’t trying to make profit. He was really just trying to help people.”

Titi was born in Jaffa in the last days of British rule in Palestine and grew up a refugee in the Gaza Strip. After studying in Egypt, Austria and Spain, he immigrated to New Jersey in 1972 and bought Noble Pharmacy a decade later.

The pharmacy became a fixture in the community, known as a place immigrants could go for help and advice, often in their native language. If they couldn’t afford medication, Titi would give it to them for free. “All different types of people from different cultures would come and they would instantly fall in love with him,” Justin said.

Active in the local Arab American community, Titi gave to charity and sent money home regularly. A Facebook tribute included dozens of stories of his generosity and mentorship. “We all lost the sweetest and the most noble man on earth,” wrote one relative.

Titi, a father of three adult children, developed symptoms of COVID-19 in late March. He died in the hospital on April 7. His wife, Rachelle, also became infected and has taken some six weeks to recover. In quarantine, the family has been unable to grieve together.

— Noa Yachot, The Guardian | Published May 19, 2020

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Social Worker Was A ‘Big Voice’ In His Community

(Courtesy of Donna Welch)

Gerald Welch

Age: 56 Occupation: Social worker and behavioral specialist Place of Work: Opportunity Behavioral Health in Reading, Pennsylvania Date of Death: April 15, 2020

Donna Welch had sworn she would “never, ever, ever get married again.” Then Gerald appeared.

They met on MySpace, and she quickly realized that “our spirits connected.” On their first date, at Donna’s house in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Gerald proposed — and Donna said yes. “It was like he came down on a bolt of lightning from heaven,” she said.

Gerald’s fiery passion and courage to speak out served him as a boardroom advocate for underperforming students in the school district, and at the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, where he resurrected a scholarship now named in his honor.

“He had a big voice,” Donna said, “and he was not afraid to use it.” His “Families, Organizations and Communities United in Service” podcast combined Gerald’s lived experience overcoming drugs and his spirituality to support others struggling with addiction.

So even as the state’s COVID cases mounted, Gerald was a dutiful companion for his clients with severe autism — he took them to the supermarket in Lancaster and the laundromat in Lebanon. “Wherever they needed to go, he went,” Donna said. “He cared so much for them, and they loved him dearly.”

“We all did,” she added.

— Eli Cahan | Published May 19, 2020

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Hardworking Immigrant Realized His Dream To Practice Medicine In US

Jesus Manuel Zambrano and his son, Jesus Manuel Jr. (Courtesy of the Zambrano family)

Jesus Manuel Zambrano

Age: 54 Occupation: Pediatrician Place of Work: Private practice in Freeport, New York; attending physician at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital Date of Death: March 30, 2020

Jesus Manuel Zambrano studied medicine in the Dominican Republic and immigrated to New York in the 1990s.

He hustled, working in fast food and as a school bus driver between studies, his wife, Sandra, said. He completed his residency in 2010.

In the meantime, they had two children: Jesus Manuel Jr., 22, and Angelyne Ofelia, 18. Jesus Manuel Jr., who uses a wheelchair, never veered far from his father during family outings to restaurants and parks, and Holy Week vacations.

Zambrano’s bond with his son informed his care for his patients. “There was not a single day we met and talked when we didn’t talk about his son,” said Dr. Magda Mendez, a former colleague.

Zambrano spent days in private practice, Sandra said, and in the evenings treated others at the hospital, which saw COVID cases.

In early March, he felt ill. He took the next day off — a rare occurrence, Sandra said. He was taken to the hospital where he worked, where he died after a week and a half of care.

In becoming a physician in the United States, Zambrano had realized his lifelong dream. He wished the same for his family.

“He had a lot of plans for his children, a lot of dreams,” Sandra said. “He took them with him.”

— Carmen Heredia Rodriguez, Kaiser Health News | Published May 15, 2020

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Quick-Witted And Quick To Serve, Firefighter ‘Always Had Your Back’

(Courtesy of the Zerman family)

Robert Zerman

Age: 49 Occupation: Volunteer firefighter Place of Work: Pioneer Hose Company No. 1 in Robesonia, Pennsylvania Date of Death: April 16, 2020

Anyone who met Robert Zerman would see two things: He was devoted to firefighting and emergency medical services, and he had a quick sense of humor.

“He probably went on tens of thousands of calls,” said Anthony Tucci, CEO of the Western Berks Ambulance Association. Tucci, who knew Zerman for over three decades, added, “he always had your back, always knew his stuff.”

Most recently, Zerman was a volunteer assistant fire chief. He responded to an emergency in March in which the patient had COVID-19 symptoms.

“That was before there was really any guidance to wear PPE,” Tucci said.

Soon Zerman got sick, leading the family to suspect that he’d contracted the coronavirus on that call, Tucci said. Zerman tested positive and was hospitalized. He seemed to be improving before taking a bad turn.

Berks County, in eastern Pennsylvania, is among the state’s hardest hit, recording around 3,500 total cases and nearly 200 deaths by mid-May.

Representatives from two dozen first responder agencies lined the streets for Zerman’s funeral procession.

— Maureen O’Hagan | Published May 19, 2020

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Lighthearted Nurse ‘Lit Up the Room’

(Courtesy of Alisa Bowens)

Linda Bonaventura

Age: 45 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Wildwood Healthcare Center in Indianapolis Date of Death: April 13, 2020

Even on bad days, Linda Bonaventura’s lighthearted sense of humor made people feel better, her sister Alisa Bowens said.

Bonaventura dedicated her career to children with special needs and seniors. She did her best to keep her spirits up while working 16-hour days.

“We like to say she was laughter,” Bowens said. “She lit up the room.”

In a statement, Ethan Peak, executive director of Wildwood, called Bonaventura a dedicated nurse who “would do anything for her residents and co-workers.”

As the list of patients and employees with COVID-19 grew longer at Wildwood, Bonaventura refused to live in fear, Bowens said.

Bowens recalled the day her sister confessed she was spraying herself with Lysol to kill the germs on her clothes. She did the same for a co-worker. A Wildwood spokesperson said the nursing home had sufficient personal protective equipment for employees.

The sisters, in one of their last conversations, told each other they would be at peace if death came during the pandemic. A short time later, Bonaventura tested positive for COVID-19. Just a week after coming down with a sore throat and fever, she died.

“She believed in fate,” Bowens said. “We shared that belief. But it was still a shock.”

— Cara Anthony | Published May 15, 2020

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Nurse’s Death Ripples Through The Heart Of An Extended Community

(Courtesy of Courtney Christian)

Sheila Faye Christian

Age: 66 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Care Pavilion Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia Date of Death: April 19, 2020

So many people are mourning the death of Sheila Christian, her daughter set up a website to comfort them all.

Christian was a longtime friend of Tina Knowles-Lawson ― the mother of Beyoncé — who posted about the loss on Instagram.

But Christian was also a superstar at the center where she worked for 26 years and among those who knew her. She was the kind of person who brought lunch to a new co-worker and hosted a baby shower for someone without close family, according to her daughter and a memorial board.

At the outset of the COVID crisis, Christian was not given personal protective equipment, her daughter, Courtney Christian, 30. She said her mother received a mask only in late March. A lawyer for the center acknowledged Christian’s death and said federal guidelines were followed but didn’t respond to specific questions about protective gear.

Christian was diagnosed April 2. She endured more than a week of fever, chills and coughing, but seemed to be on the mend. She had been cleared to return to work when she collapsed at home. An outpouring of grief followed, her daughter said.

“She just helped and cared for so many people,” she said. “People I had never met.”

— JoNel Aleccia, Kaiser Health News | Published May 15, 2020

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At Work, Church And Home, Army Veteran Gave It His All

(Courtesy of Shlonda Clark)

Roy Chester Coleman

Age: 64 Occupation: Emergency medical technician Place of Work: Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana Date of Death: April 6, 2020

Shlonda Clark calls her father her “favorite superhero.”

It was one of Roy Coleman’s many roles. For the past 11 years, the Army veteran and EMT worked as a housekeeper at the VA hospital in his hometown. He was a church deacon, Sunday school teacher and usher. He also volunteered with special-needs adults.

Roy had a big family, with three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“He was funny, he was kind, he was giving,” said Mabel Coleman, his wife of 40 years.

“If he didn’t like you, something was wrong with you,” added Clark.

Coleman fell ill March 23. After three trips to the emergency room, he was admitted March 27, with a fever and labored breathing.

“It was the last time I saw him,” Mabel said.

He tested positive for COVID-19 and died at the hospital where he had worked.

His family said he was concerned about the lack of personal protective equipment. The VA medical center said by email it “has and continues to use PPE in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

— Katja Ridderbusch | Published May 15, 2020

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Beloved Doctor Made House Calls, Treated Patients Like Family

(Courtesy of the Giuliano family)

Michael Giuliano

Age: 64 Occupation: Family practice physician Place of Work: Mountainside Medical Group in Nutley, New Jersey Date of Death: April 18, 2020

For 39 years, Michael Giuliano practiced old-fashioned family medicine.

He made house calls. He visited his patients in the hospital rather than asking another physician to check in on them. He saw generations of the same family.

“Some patients would show up here at the house,’” said Giuliano’s wife, Marylu, a nurse and the office manager of his solo practice. “Patients would call and he’d say, ‘Come on over, I’ll check you out.’ He always went above and beyond.”

A father of five and a grandfather of four, Giuliano was jovial, with a quirky sense of humor and love of Peanuts characters, especially Charlie Brown. He liked to tell patients, “I’ll fix you up.”

“He treated all of his patients like family,” said Nutley Mayor Joseph Scarpelli.

When COVID-19 hit the U.S., Giuliano ordered N95 masks, his family said, but suppliers were out and sent surgical masks instead. Giuliano wore two at a time.

The week of March 16, Giuliano saw four patients with respiratory symptoms who later tested positive for COVID-19. About two weeks later, he tested positive.

Giuliano continued to see patients from home using telemedicine until he was hospitalized. He died 11 days later.

— Michelle Crouch | Published May 15, 2020

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He Tried To Reassure His Family Until The End

(Courtesy of Sheryl Pabatao)

Alfredo Pabatao

Age: 68 Occupation: Orderly Place of Work: Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, New Jersey Date of Death: March 26, 2020

After 44 years of marriage, Alfredo Pabatao still bought his wife, Susana, flowers.

“They were that type of couple that you rarely see nowadays,” their youngest daughter, Sheryl Pabatao, 30, said. “They set such a high standard for us, their kids — that may be the reason why I’m still single.” She said her father was a patient man who could fix just about anything.

The Pabataos came from Quezon City, just outside Manila, in the Philippines. Alfredo worked at a car dealership, and Sheryl said she and her siblings grew up comfortably.

But the couple wanted more for their five children, and immigrated to the United States in October 2011. “The first year that we were here, was really, really tough,” Sheryl remembered. Her oldest two siblings, already adults by the time the Pabataos’ immigration application cleared, had to stay behind.

Alfredo found a job as an orderly at a hospital in New Jersey, where he worked for nearly two decades. In mid-March, he told his family he had transported a patient with signs of COVID-19; he fell ill days later. In a statement, his employer wrote: “We have policies and procedures in place to protect our team members and patients that are all in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

Sheryl said the family’s last conversation with her father was via FaceTime, with him on his hospital bed. Connected to oxygen, he insisted he wasn’t gravely ill. He made jokes and even demonstrated yoga poses to reassure his wife and children. He died soon after.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published May 15, 2020

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A ‘Selfless’ Mother Who ‘Always Had The Right Words’

(Courtesy of Sheryl Pabatao)

Susana Pabatao

Age: 64 Occupation: Assistant nurse Place of Work: Bergen New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, New Jersey Date of Death: March 30, 2020

Susana Pabatao became a nurse in her late 40s, after her family immigrated to the United States.

It eased some of her longing for her own mother, whom she had left behind in the Philippines, her daughter, Sheryl Pabatao said. “It helped her to know that she was helping other people — something that she couldn’t do for my grandmother,” Sheryl said. Susana treated her older patients as if they were her own parents, she added.

Susana was warm, selfless and a constant source of comfort. Sheryl said, “My mom always had the right words.”

Susana’s husband, Alfredo Pabatao, began showing symptoms of COVID-19 in mid-March, and Susana became ill soon after. Sheryl, who described the two as “inseparable,” said: “When my dad got sick, it’s like part of her was not there anymore.”

Alfredo was hospitalized, and Susana spent her last days at home resting and speaking with him on FaceTime. Sheryl, who lived with her parents, said she overheard the two console each other one morning. “My mom was telling my dad, ‘We’ve gone through so many things, we’re going to get through this.”

Alfredo died on March 26. Susana died four days later.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published May 15, 2020

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Air Force Doctor Had Served In The White House

(Courtesy of the Medical Center of Annandale)

Steven Perez

Age: 68 Occupation: Internal medicine physician Place of Work: Medical Center of Annandale in Annandale, Virginia Date of Death: May 7, 2020

When George H.W. Bush announced his 1988 run for the presidency, Steven Perez was one of the doctors who gave him a clean bill of health.

An “Air Force brat” who was born in the United Kingdom, Perez served as a flight surgeon and medical director in the Air Force Medical Service Corps before practicing as a physician in the White House from 1986 to 1990, according to a statement from his family.

“It was the honor of his life,” his son, Benjamin Perez, said.

Perez went into private practice in San Antonio in the early ’90s before opening his own clinic in Northern Virginia. He also taught at the University of Virginia.

According to his family, he made a promise to God and “never refused medical aid to the poor who came to his office, even accepting yams as payment on occasion.”

Perez’s family describes him as a proud grandfather to his three grandchildren (with two more on the way); he loved the University of Southern California Trojan football, the Dallas Cowboys and the Nationals.

“He could make anyone laugh, knew just what to say, and showed profound love for his friends and family,” his family wrote in an obituary. “Every person he met felt like they were the reason he was there.”

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published May 15, 2020

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She Jumped At Chance To Lend Her Nursing Skills To Her Beloved New York

(Courtesy of the Sell family)

Rosemary Sell

Age: 80 Occupation: Pediatric nurse practitioner Place of Work: New York City public schools Date of Death: April 17, 2020

Rosemary Sell was a New Yorker through and through. Born in Washington Heights in northern Manhattan, she went to nursing school in Greenwich Village and raised her five boys on the Lower East Side.

In the 1960s, she traveled to Berlin, where she worked as a nurse for the British army and met her future husband, Peter. A lifelong love of travel was born. Gregarious and high-energy by nature, she loved meeting new people. “Wherever she’d go, she’d make a new friend,” said her son, also named Peter.

In later years, Sell spent much of her time in Florida. But she jumped at opportunities to lend her nursing skills to her home city and see her grandchildren and friends.

In February, she was contacted by a firm that places nurses on temporary assignments. Her children were concerned about the encroaching pandemic, especially given her age. “But they need a nurse,” she responded. She traveled to New York to fill in as a nurse at several schools citywide just as the pandemic took hold. The firm, Comprehensive Resources, did not respond to questions on protections for its contractors.

Sell began developing symptoms in mid-March, just before the citywide school closure went into effect. She returned home to Florida, where she died from pneumonia caused by COVID-19.

Before Rosemary died, she had been hatching her next adventure with a friend: to travel to India. She wanted to see the Taj Mahal.

— Noa Yachot, The Guardian | Published May 15, 2020

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A Hands-On Pharmacist Who Made The Big City Feel Smaller

(Courtesy of Zair Yasin)

Ali Yasin

Age: 67 Occupation: Pharmacist Place of Work: New York City Pharmacy in East Village, Manhattan Date of Death: May 4, 2020

Ali Yasin was a small-town druggist in a big city filled with impersonal, chain-store pharmacies. He found a way to operate a robust business and still be on a first-name basis with his customers. Over the years, he became their medical consultant, insurance whisperer and friend.

Jen Masser said she stumbled into Yasin’s pharmacy the first time, covered from hands to elbows in hives. “Something is happening, see someone right away,” Yasin advised. “This could be a serious disease.” He turned out to be right, encouraging her to keep seeing doctors until she finally got the proper autoimmune diagnosis.

Born in Pakistan, Yasin moved to the United States in 1979 and worked in various pharmacies before opening his own in 2001. He ran it with the help of his four sons.

In March, after serving customers in hard-hit Manhattan in his typical hands-on manner, Yasin contracted a cough and tested positive for COVID-19. By month’s end, he was in the hospital on a ventilator. He died May 4.

The storefront window of the Yasin family pharmacy is pasted with condolence cards. Son Zair Yasin said the outpouring has been immense: “I didn’t realize until he was gone how many people he touched.”

— Kathleen Horan | Published May 15, 2020

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Nurse Wouldn’t Abandon Her Patients Or Let Family Worry

(Courtesy of the Isaacs family)

Marsha Bantle

Age: 65 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Signature Healthcare in Newburgh, Indiana Date of Death: May 1, 2020

Marsha Bantle’s family begged her to quit after a resident in the nursing home where she worked was diagnosed with COVID-19.

But Bantle wouldn’t leave. “My patients can’t leave their rooms, they can’t see their families. They really need me right now,’” she told her cousin Carol Isaacs.

Bantle tried to reassure relatives she would limit her exposure, but, on April 17, her temperature spiked. Bantle, who lived alone, holed up at home. She finally called her family when it was clear she needed to be hospitalized.

“That’s Marsha for you,” her cousin John Isaacs said. “She didn’t want us to worry.”

Even while hospitalized, Bantle was selfless, said Shay Gould, the ICU nurse who cared for her. She offered to turn off her medication pump to save the nurse a trip. She asked for other patients’ names to pray for them.

After about a week, Bantle had a stroke, likely brought on by the COVID-19 infection. Within days, she died.

Since April, the nursing home has had 52 positive cases and 13 COVID-19 deaths, including Bantle’s. In a statement, Signature Healthcare said: “The loss of any of our residents or staff, for any reason, is devastating.”

— Michelle Crouch | Published May 12, 2020

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Pharmacist, Feeling Sick, Didn’t Want To Let Patients Down

(Courtesy of the Boynes family)

Sean Boynes

Age: 46 Occupation: Pharmacist Place of Work: AbsoluteCare Medical Center & Pharmacy in Greenbelt, Maryland Date of Death: April 2, 2020

When the coronavirus began circulating in the Washington metropolitan region, Sean Boynes went to work.

“Patients need their medicine,” he told his wife, Nicole.

The medical center where he worked bills itself as “a medical home for the sickest of the sick”; many of its patients struggle with chronic illness and poverty. Boynes was the Greenbelt branch’s first pharmacist.

He was an “incredible, loving guy,” said Dr. Gregory Foti, chief of innovative operations at AbsoluteCare.

Boynes was a proud Howard University alumnus and had three degrees — a bachelor’s of science in biology, a master’s in exercise physiology and a doctorate in pharmacy — from the institution.

In early March, Boynes and his wife began feeling sick. Boynes didn’t want to stop working but thought “taking a sick day might be OK,” Nicole said. He also took a break from being a jungle gym to his eight- and 11-year-old girls. Nicole called him “Super Dad.”

Nicole got better, but Sean, who had asthma, saw his breathing deteriorate.

On March 25, Nicole dropped him at the hospital doors. The medical staff confirmed COVID-19. The family never saw him again.

Foti said AbsoluteCare follows CDC recommendations, such as providing staff with face masks, and declined to comment on where Boynes became infected. He said “it was literally impossible to tell” where Boynes had contracted the virus.

To honor him, AbsoluteCare is naming the Greenbelt pharmacy after Boynes.

— Sarah Jane Tribble, Kaiser Health News | Published May 12, 2020

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A Spry EMT, He Made ‘The Ultimate Sacrifice’

(Courtesy of Toni Lorenc)

John Careccia

Age: 74 Occupation: Emergency medical technician and rescue squad chief Place of Work: Woodbridge Township Ambulance and Rescue Squad in Iselin, New Jersey Date of Death: April 17, 2020

“That’s not the way you throw a curveball!” John Careccia famously declared to his grandson at a family picnic, according to his daughter, Toni Lorenc. Careccia then threw the ball so wide that it broke a window in her shed.

“That’s how you throw the batter off,” he said, brushing off the mishap.

“Typical Pop-Pop,” Lorenc said. “He had so much confidence in himself.”

Careccia, who worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for 30 years, harnessed his self-confidence into a second career. Inspired by two EMTs who saved his son’s life, he became a volunteer EMT in 1993. A consummate educator, he taught CPR, mentored young EMTs and gave catechism classes at his church, Lorenc said.

A spry 74, Careccia responded to 911 calls as chief of his rescue squad, a volunteer position. On a March 25 call, he evaluated a coronavirus patient, said Ed Barrett, squad president. Careccia died of COVID-19 several weeks later.

At his firehouse memorial service, Careccia was summoned over a loudspeaker for his “last call.”

“Having heard no response from Chief Careccia, we know that John has made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Steve Packer, a previous squad president. “His leadership, dedication, compassion and friendship will be greatly missed.”

— Melissa Bailey | Published May 12, 2020

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Police Officer Turned Nurse Practitioner Was Pursuing A Doctorate

(Courtesy of Dennis Graiani)

Kevin Graiani

Age: 56 Occupation: Family nurse practitioner Place of Work: Rockland Medical Group in Garnerville, New York Date of Death: March 30, 2020

Kevin Graiani always wanted to work in health care, according to Dennis Graiani, one of his three sons. But his mother told him he needed a pension, so he became a cop.

Kevin, who grew up in the Bronx, served five years on the New York City Housing Authority police force, then 15 on a suburban police force in Spring Valley, New York. He was a “brilliant officer,” said Lt. Jack Bosworth of Spring Valley.

Known for his dry sense of humor, Kevin often rattled off quotes from movies. He played bagpipes for the Rockland County Police Emerald Society, a law enforcement group. When he retired from police work, he began nursing school and became a nurse practitioner in 2018.

Kevin, who worked at a private practice, became sick on March 10 and was later diagnosed with COVID-19, Dennis said.

He loved learning and was set to finish classes this summer for his doctorate of nursing practice, said Lynne Weissman, his professor and program director at Dominican College.

He was an “extremely bright student” with a 3.7 GPA, Weissman said.

She has nominated him for a posthumous degree.

— Melissa Bailey | Published May 12, 2020

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School Nurse ‘Was A Mother To Many’

(Courtesy of the Howard family)

Marilyn Howard

Age: 53 Occupation: School nurse Place of Work: Spring Creek Community School in Brooklyn, New York Date of Death: April 4, 2020

Marilyn Howard was known for her generosity and never missing a party. Born in Guyana, she came to the U.S. as a teenager. She helped raise her five brothers, putting her ambitions on hold. “She was a mother to many,” her brother Haslyn said.

In her mid-30s, she turned to her own career goals. She steadily racked up four nursing degrees and recently had begun studying to become a nurse practitioner.

Howard, who lived in Queens, New York, was a school nurse in Brooklyn, where she regularly treated children with chronic illnesses associated with poverty. The week before the pandemic shuttered schools, a fellow nurse had a fever and cough.

Days later, Howard developed the same symptoms. After initially improving, she took a sudden turn for the worse April 4. As her brother drove her to the hospital, her heart stopped. She was declared dead at the hospital.

In tribute, hundreds turned out on Zoom to mark Nine-Night — a days-long wake tradition in the Caribbean — where loved ones shared photos, sang songs and recounted Howard’s effect on their lives.

The pandemic has since ripped through Howard’s extended family, infecting at least a dozen relatives. (One cousin was hospitalized but was released and is recovering.) The family has evolved into a sprawling triage team, monitoring one another’s temperatures, delivering food, charting emergency contacts and nearby hospitals.

Howard’s brothers hope to start a foundation in her name to help aspiring nurses in the U.S. and West Indies. “The best way to honor her spirit and her memory is to bring more nurses into this world,” said her brother Rawle. “We need more Marilyns around.”

— Noa Yachot, The Guardian | Published May 12, 2020

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Post-Retirement, She Tirelessly Rejoined Workforce

(Courtesy Bethany MacDonald)

Nancy MacDonald

Age: 74 Occupation: Receptionist Place of Work: Orchard View Manor, a nursing home and rehabilitation center in East Providence, Rhode Island Date of Death: April 25, 2020

Nancy MacDonald tried retiring, but couldn’t make it stick.

For 20 years, she was a middle school teaching assistant and cheerleading coach. At home, she loved painting rocks and watching “Blue Bloods” and “American Idol.” She was married with two adult children.

A lifelong Rhode Islander, Nancy was a people person, her daughter, Bethany MacDonald, said. “She always wanted to help others.”

So, in 2017, it was natural that she’d go back to work, this time at a nursing home.

As Orchard View’s COVID case count escalated, MacDonald worried. Still, she kept coming in — washing and reusing her N95 respirator and having her temperature taken daily.

Tim Brown, an Orchard View spokesperson, said the facility has “extensive infection control,” satisfying government guidelines. He would not say how often employees receive new N95s.

On April 13, MacDonald began coughing. By April 16, she was hospitalized. Her COVID test came back positive. She died 10 days later ― almost a week after her last conversation with her daughter.

“I said, ‘Mama, we love you,’” Bethany said. “The last words she said to me were, ‘I love you, too.’”

— Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News | Published May 12, 2020

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Despite Danger, Semi-Retired Nurse Kept Caring For ER Patients

(Courtesy of the Miles family)

Sheena Miles

Age: 60 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Scott Regional Hospital in Morton, Mississippi Date of Death: May 1, 2020

At age 60, Sheena Miles was semi-retired. She usually worked every other weekend, but as COVID-19 emerged in Mississippi, she worked four weekends in a row from mid-March to mid-April.

“I’ve got a duty,” she told her son, Tom Miles.

The economy where she lived is dominated by poultry plants, and the county has been a coronavirus hot spot. Sheena was diligent with protective gear, wearing her mask and doubling up on gloves, Tom said. She stayed home when she wasn’t working.

“Losing Sheena has been a tragic loss, as she had been a part of our hospital for 25 years,” said Heather Davis, a hospital administrator.

Sheena took ill on Easter Sunday. By Thursday, Tommy Miles, her husband of 43 years, drove her to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Two long weeks passed. The family was allowed to say goodbye in person, and on their way into her room, an ICU nurse told them that years ago Sheena had cared for his infant daughter. “‘Your mom saved her life,’” the nurse said.

“That was a little comfort in the storm,” Sheena’s son said.

— Michaela Gibson Morris | Published May 12, 2020

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A Nurse Who Was Living Her Dream Of Working In The U.S.

(Courtesy of Venus Donasco-Delfin)

Anjanette Miller

Age: 38 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Community First Medical Center and Kindred Chicago Lakeshore in Chicago, and Bridgeway Senior Living in Bensenville, Illinois Date of Death: April 14, 2020

As a child, Anjanette Miller dreamed of becoming a nurse in the U.S. She studied in her native Philippines and worked briefly in Saudi Arabia before fulfilling her wish in 2001.

Miller settled in Chicago and worked as a supervising nurse at three facilities. Her sister, Venus Donasco-Delfin, said Miller got along well with co-workers who shared her work ethic.

“At work, I think, she was strict, but beyond work, she’s a great friend,” Donasco-Delfin said. One of five siblings, she was the “pillar of the family” and supported relatives back home.

“I studied psychology for two years,” Donasco-Delfin said, “but she kept calling me [in the Philippines] and said, ‘No, Venus. … You have to pursue nursing. You will make a difference.’” Donasco-Delfin, now in Canada, became a nurse.

Miller started feeling sick in mid-March and was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early April. She self-isolated, chronicling her illness on YouTube and Facebook. She was hospitalized April 5 and died nine days later.

Miller had hoped to retire to the Philippines and pursue her other passion, filmmaking. Last year she traveled back home to shoot scenes for a project. “The movie she was making is about her life story,” Donasco-Delfin said. “But it’s not finished yet.”

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published May 12, 2020

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He Took The Time To Put Patients At Ease

(Courtesy of Holy Name Medical Center)

Jesus Villaluz

Age: 75 Occupation: Patient transport worker Place of Work: Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey Date of Death: April 3, 2020

After Jesus Villaluz died from COVID-19 complications, colleagues lined the hallway at Holy Name Medical Center in Teaneck, New Jersey, to say goodbye. They’d never done that for anyone else.

“Jesus knew many and meant a lot to all of us, so this gesture felt like the right thing to do,” said hospital spokesperson Nicole Urena.

The hospital, and surrounding Bergen County, have been hit hard by the pandemic. By May 8, Holy Name had treated more than 6,000 COVID patients, 181 of whom died.

Villaluz worked at Holy Name for 27 years. In a Facebook post, the hospital memorialized Villaluz’s generosity: He once won a raffle and shared the winnings with colleagues, an anecdote New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy repeated at a news conference. Family members declined requests for an interview.

Co-worker Hossien Dahdouli said Villaluz’s compassion for patients was exemplary. He never rushed anyone, took the time to chat with patients and was always concerned for their privacy and safety, Dahdouli said.

Years ago, after Dahdouli had a sad day caring for deteriorating ICU patients, he asked Villaluz why he always appeared so happy.

“He said, ‘My worst day at work is better than someone’s best day as a patient.’”

— Anna Almendrala, Kaiser Health News | Published May 12, 2020

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Family Vacations And Reggae Gave Rhythm To His Life

(Courtesy of Nina Batayola)

Don Ryan Batayola

Age: 40 Occupation: Occupational therapist Place of Work: South Mountain Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Vauxhall, New Jersey Date of Death: April 4, 2020

April 4 was the day Don and Nina Batayola had planned to leave for London on a 10-day European vacation. Instead, that was the day Don died of COVID-19.

The Springfield, New Jersey, couple loved to travel ― on their own or with their children, Zoie, 10, and Zeth, 8. Disney World. Road trips to Canada. Every year for a week they would savor the beach on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Don’s love of reggae music prompted a trip to Jamaica to visit Bob Marley’s birthplace.

The Batayolas, both occupational therapists, moved to New Jersey from the Philippines 13 years ago to pursue their careers.

“He loved to help,” Nina said. “He had such the ability to make everybody smile or laugh.”

Don worked with at least one patient and a handful of colleagues who subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, and in late March, he developed symptoms. Nina came home from work for lunch on March 31 to find him struggling to breathe. She dialed 911.

He was hospitalized, then she also developed COVID symptoms. Self-isolating at home, Nina talked with Don once a day. She thought he seemed stronger but, on the fourth day, his heart suddenly stopped.

— Michelle Andrews | Published May 8, 2020

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Even On ‘The Saddest Day … She Could Make You Laugh’

(Courtesy of Kim Bruner)

Brittany Bruner-Ringo

Age: 32 Occupation: Nurse Place of Work: Silverado Beverly Place in Los Angeles Date of Death: April 20, 2020

When it was Brittany Bruner-Ringo’s turn to pick the family vacation, it was always New Orleans. A city so full of life.

And that is how family described the 32-year-old who left the Oklahoma plains for the excitement of Southern California.

“She always made the best of things,” her mother, Kim Bruner, said. “It could be the saddest day, and she could make you laugh.”

Bruner-Ringo worked at a dementia care center. On March 19, she admitted a patient flown in from New York. She suspected he might have COVID-19, and she was nervous. For fear of frightening the patients, she hadn’t been allowed to wear a mask or gloves, she told her mom by phone that night. (A spokesperson from her employer said, “We have no issues in our environment using appropriate masking and gloves and have followed CDC guidelines throughout this pandemic. We have always had adequate PPE to protect our residents and associates.”)

The following day, the patient grew worse. Bruner-Ringo checked into a hotel to isolate from her roommate. She later tested positive for COVID-19, but when she developed symptoms did not complain ― even to her mom: “She would say, ‘I’m fine. I’m going to beat this. Don’t worry about me.’”

Bruner, a veteran nurse herself, called the hotel front desk for help getting an ambulance to her daughter. She had just hung up with her daughter, who insisted she was fine, while struggling to breathe.

— Samantha Young, Kaiser Health News | Published May 8, 2020

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He And His Wife Shared A Lust For Travel ― And A COVID Diagnosis

(Courtesy of LaKita Bush)

Joshua Bush

Age: 30 Occupation: Nurse and nursing student Place of Work: Benton House of Aiken in Aiken, South Carolina Date of Death: April 17, 2020

Joshua Bush never let his wife, LaKita, forget that she was five hours late for their first date.

“He never held back telling the truth,” LaKita said, with a doleful laugh.

They met online in 2011, each attracted to the other’s lust for travel. For Joshua’s 30th birthday, they took a cruise to Bermuda. He yearned to go farther afield to Tokyo to revel over anime.

Joshua began his nursing career after high school, eventually ending up at Benton House of Aiken, an assisted living facility. Joshua and LaKita, who works in human resources for a hospital, thought it was allergy-related when they both fell ill in late March. Benton House had no confirmed COVID cases at the time, LaKita said. Even still, the staff was taking precautions.

A doctor prescribed Joshua flu medication, but his symptoms — fever and aches but no cough — worsened, and he was admitted to a hospital in Augusta, Georgia, on April 4.

“That was the last time I saw him alive,” LaKita said.

Over the next few days, both tested positive for the coronavirus. Joshua was sedated in the hospital for two weeks and died on April 17. LaKita recovered at home.

Joshua was earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of South Carolina-Aiken. May would have marked the couple’s fifth anniversary.

— Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News | Published May 8, 2020

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Her Sudden Death Blindsided Husband And Autistic Son

(Courtesy of Vincent Carmello)

Karen Carmello

Age: 57 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Maryhaven Center of Hope in Port Jefferson Station, New York Date of Death: April 16, 2020

Karen Carmello had an intimate understanding of working with intellectually disabled patients.

Her 26-year-old son, Steven, has autism. According to her husband, Vincent, the two spoke by phone every day. Steven would recall exactly what he did, and Karen listened intently.

“She could do no wrong in his eyes, ever,” Vincent said. “It’s a very special bond, but it’s one that she earned.”

Sharing the news of her death was shattering: “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do — letting him know.”

When Karen took ill, she discovered that a patient in her ward had tested positive for COVID-19. She was hospitalized March 23. Eight days later, she sent Vincent her last text, at 2:17 a.m., before going to the ICU.

On April 16, hospital staff called and asked whether Vincent would be comfortable signing a do-not-resuscitate order. He hadn’t been able to see his wife, so he didn’t completely grasp how grave her condition was.

“I thought, ‘OK, this must be a formality,'” he said. “I authorized it. And I got a call within two hours that she passed. I was stunned.”

— Shoshana Dubnow, Kaiser Health News | Published May 8, 2020

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His Facebook Posts Left Clues Of A Tragic Timeline

(Courtesy of Felicia Dodson-Hill)

Maurice Dotson

Age: 51 Occupation: Certified nursing assistant Place of Work: West Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Austin, Texas Date of Death: April 17, 2020

Maurice Dotson’s sister knew something was wrong when her older brother didn’t post his daily Facebook update.

“We knew he was good as long as he posted every morning,” Felicia Dodson-Hill, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, said.

Dotson, 51 ― a certified nursing assistant for 25 years at the West Oaks Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Austin — had begun caring for COVID-19 patients.

He sounded positive on Facebook, posting on March 30: “We are going through scary, difficult times, but better days are coming.”

Days later, family in Arkansas couldn’t reach him.

“We had been trying to get in contact with him since April 1st,” his sister said. “On April 3rd, he posted that he had to go to the hospital ― that he was not feeling good.”

Dodson-Hill said the hospital sent him home. Her mother finally reached him on April 6 or 7.

“He told my mom he didn’t have the energy to barely talk,” Dodson-Hill said.

Dawunna Wilson, a cousin from Hazen, Arkansas, said Maurice called an ambulance on April 8. Results from his coronavirus test done at the hospital came back positive the next day. “From there, it was pretty much downhill,” Wilson said.

— Sharon Jayson | Published May 5, 2020

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Community Salutes Nurse Who Loved Baseball

(Courtesy of Leigh Ann Lewis)

Barbara Finch

Age: 63 Occupation: Licensed practical nurse Place of Work: Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center in Emporia, Virginia Date of Death: March 29, 2020

When Barbara Finch got excited, she’d scrunch her hands into fists and wave them around like a kid at Christmas. She did it when the Atlanta Braves scored, or while watching her grandkids play baseball, her No. 1 passion outside work.

Finch spent her 37-year nursing career in the emergency department of the hospital in Emporia, Virginia (population of about 5,000), where one of her four children, Leigh Ann Lewis, worked as an EMT.

Lewis knew her mother was well liked: Patients she transported from the hospital would rave that Finch had been sweet and compassionate.

Finch fell ill on March 17 and died in an ICU 12 days later. As a hearse carried her casket to the graveyard, Lewis said, people lined the way at driveway mailboxes, churches and stores, holding signs that read, “We love you,” “Praying for you,” “Hugs.” At her hospital, employees released balloons to the sky.

“It seemed like, in our area, she knew everybody — either she worked with them, or they were a patient of hers at some point,” Lewis said. “It was a very, very large outpour of love and comfort and solidarity.”

— Melissa Bailey | Published May 8, 2020

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‘He Loved To Work,’ With No Plans To Retire

(Courtesy Giancarlo Pattugalan)

Tomas Pattugalan

Age: 70 Occupation: Internal medicine physician Place of Work: Private practice in Jamaica, Queens, New York Date of Death: March 29, 2020

Tomas Pattugalan’s kids had been encouraging him to retire. Even after 45 years of medicine, Pattugalan wasn’t ready to slow down.

“He loved his patients. He loved to work. He loved to help others,” said Giancarlo, his son. “He had an enormous capacity to give of himself.”

A father of three, Pattugalan grew up in the Philippines, immigrating to the U.S. in the 1970s. He was a devout Catholic — attending Mass weekly ― and “karaoke master,” Giancarlo said.

In early March, Pattugalan began testing patients for COVID-19. His medical history, including a family history of strokes and high blood pressure, heightened his own risk. So after tests of two patients returned positive, he got tested himself. On March 24, he learned he had the coronavirus.

“He made a joke and said Prince Charles had tested [positive] too, and he was sharing royalty,” Giancarlo said. “He was making light of it, not trying to get any of us worried.”

Pattugalan had a cough. Then came wheezing. His oxygen levels dropped. He tried hydroxychloroquine, an experimental treatment touted by President Donald Trump that has yielded mixed results. Nothing helped.

On March 29, Pattugalan agreed to seek hospital care. He died that day.

— Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News | Published May 8, 2020

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Says Widow Battling Cancer: ‘He Was My Backbone’

(Courtesy of Melissa Castro Santos)

Darrin Santos

Age: 50 Occupation: Transportation supervisor Place of Work: NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester Behavioral Health Center in White Plains, New York Date of Death: April 4, 2020

Melissa Castro Santos had just started a new treatment for multiple myeloma when her husband, Darrin, got sick.

For nearly two weeks, he isolated in their bedroom, but after he began gasping for air, he went to the hospital. He died of COVID-19 days later.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Castro Santos said.

As a transportation supervisor, Santos delivered health care workers and equipment between hospitals in the New York metropolitan area. He loved his job, Castro Santos said, and was known to drive doctors wherever and whenever they were needed, through heavy traffic and snowstorms.

Castro Santos, who has been battling cancer since 2012, said her husband doted on their three teenagers, all avid athletes. He arranged his work schedule to attend as many of their games as possible. When he couldn’t make it, she would call him on FaceTime so he could catch glimpses of the action.

Unable to hold a funeral, they arranged for burial five days after Santos died. Friends lined the streets in cars in a show of support as the family drove to and from the cemetery.

Now Castro Santos is confronting cancer without her husband. “He was my backbone. He was the one who took me to chemotherapy and appointments.”

— Anna Jean Kaiser, The Guardian | Published May 8, 2020

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An Animal Lover Who Loved Aerospace, She Died Alone At Home

(Courtesy of Aubree Farmer)

Lisa Ewald

Age: 53 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit Date of Death: April 1, 2020

Lisa Ewald was a nurse to many living things, human and otherwise.

When her neighbor Alexis Fernandez’s border collie had a stomach blockage, Ewald hooked the dog up to an IV four times a day. “She was this dedicated nurse who nursed my dog back to health,” Fernandez said.

Ewald also loved gardening, aerospace and comic book conventions.

Ewald told Fernandez that a patient she had treated later tested positive for COVID-19, and that she was not wearing a mask at the time. Two days later, after seeing the patient, she got sick. After delays in accessing a test, she learned on March 30 that she was infected with the coronavirus.

A hospital spokesperson acknowledged that staff who treat coronavirus patients have a higher risk of exposure, but said there was “no way to confirm” how a staff member contracted the virus.

On March 31, Ewald didn’t answer when Fernandez texted her. The next day, Fernandez and a hospital nurse went to Ewald’s home to check on her and found her unresponsive on the couch.

“I said, ‘Aren’t you going to go take her pulse or anything?’” Fernandez said. “The nurse just said, ‘She’s gone.’”

— Melissa Bailey | Published May 5, 2020

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An Ardent EMT Who Seemed To Have Nine Lives

(Courtesy of Ben Geiger)

Scott Geiger

Age: 47 Occupation: Emergency medical technician Place of Work: Atlantic Health System in Mountainside and Warren, New Jersey Date of Death: April 13, 2020

Scott Geiger wasn’t always enthusiastic about school, but at age 16 he brought home a tome the size of two phone books. It was a manual for emergency medical technicians, and he devoured it, said his younger brother, Ben Geiger.

Scott was certified as an EMT at 17. He never married or had kids, but did not seem to miss those things.

“He was so focused on being an EMT and helping people in their most vulnerable and desperate moments,” Ben said. “That’s really what made him feel good.”

Scott loved playing pool each week with friends. He was a loyal New York Jets football fan, content to joke about their follies and watch them lose. He was quiet. And he seemed to have nine lives, his brother said, surviving hospitalizations for epilepsy as a kid and blood cancer around age 40.

When the coronavirus began to tear a path through northern New Jersey, he faced his EMT work with resolve. He downplayed his symptoms when he first fell ill in late March, but wound up spending 17 days on a ventilator before he died. The family has had to mourn separately, with the brothers’ father, who lived with Scott, in quarantine, and their mother confined to her room in a nursing home that has COVID-19 cases.

— Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published May 5, 2020

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Caring Nurse ‘Always Put Herself Last’

(Courtesy of Lisa Lococo)

Theresa Lococo

Age: 68 Occupation: Pediatric nurse Place of Work: Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York Date of Death: March 27, 2020

Theresa Lococo spent most of her life at the hospital, working as a pediatric nurse for almost 48 years.

“There wasn’t a day that goes by she wouldn’t come home and tell me about her patients,” said her daughter, Lisa Lococo. “She had to be forced to take her vacation days.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio publicly saluted her lifelong service to New Yorkers, saying, “She gave her life helping others.”

Theresa had dogs — “sometimes too many,” Lisa said — and lived with her son, Anthony, in the home she owned for decades. She loved cooking and watching cooking shows, reading and following soap operas.

Theresa wasn’t tested for COVID-19. But Kings County Hospital, in Brooklyn, was hit hard by the coronavirus.

Days before dying, she described nausea. Friends recalled a cough. Her supervisor encouraged her to stay home, her daughter said.

Lisa called her mother on March 27, just as Anthony was dialing 911 for help.

“She always put others first,” Lisa said. “She always put herself last.”

— Shefali Luthra, Kaiser Health News | Published May 5, 2020

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He Was Full Of Life And Planning For The Future

(Courtesy of the Luna family)

Felicisimo “Tom” Luna

Age: 62 Occupation: Emergency room nurse Place of Work: Trinitas Regional Medical Center in Elizabeth, New Jersey Date of Death: April 9, 2020

Tom Luna was a joker, a lively and outgoing man who thrived on the fast-paced and varied action of the emergency room. He also adored his three daughters, something clear to all who knew him.

“Tom was a fantastic emergency nurse. He was well liked and loved by his peers,” Gerard Muench, administrative director of the Trinitas emergency department, said in a statement. “His greatest love was for his wife and daughters, who he was very proud of.”

His oldest daughter, Gabrielle, 25, followed his path to become an ER nurse. When Tom fell ill with the coronavirus, he was admitted to the hospital where she works. At the end of her 12-hour night shifts, she made sure he had breakfast and helped him change his clothes. She propped a family photo next to his bed.

Tom’s wife, Kit, also a nurse, said that when some of his symptoms appeared to let up, they talked about him recovering at home. He was a planner, she said, and was already talking about their next family vacation, maybe to Spain.

— Christina Jewett | Published May 5, 2020

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Air Force Veteran Went ‘Above And Beyond For Patients’

Michael Marceaux and his wife, Dunia, when he graduated from nursing school in 2018 (Courtesy of Drake Marceaux)

Michael Marceaux

Age: 49 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Christus Highland Medical Center and Brentwood Hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana Date of Death: April 16, 2020

After Michael Marceaux retired from the Air Force, he went back to school. In 2018 he launched a new career as an emergency room nurse.

“Everyone who worked with him said he was so happy,” said Drake Marceaux, one of his four sons. “He was willing to go above and beyond for patients.”

As the coronavirus spread throughout Louisiana, Michael developed a cough and fever. Soon afterward, he tested positive for COVID-19.

“He didn’t seem too worried,” Drake said. “He just wanted to make sure not to give it to other people.”

A spokesperson with Christus Health said Michael would be missed for “how he always had a positive attitude, even after a hard shift. His laughter brought joy to others.” The spokesperson declined to answer questions about workplace safety conditions.

Drake said he wanted his father to be remembered for how much he was loved.

His funeral was livestreamed on Facebook. “At one point, there were 2,000 viewers watching his service,” Drake said. “As much as he didn’t want attention, it gravitated toward him.”

— Victoria Knight, Kaiser Health News | Published May 5, 2020

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She Loved To Give Gifts And Never Forgot Her Hometown

(Courtesy of Courtesy of Donald Jay Marcos)

Celia Lardizabal Marcos

Age: 61 Occupation: Telemetry charge nurse Place of Work: CHA Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles Date of Death: April 17, 2020

Whenever she traveled to her hometown of Tagudin in the Philippines, Celia Lardizabal Marcos showered family with gifts and delighted in planning weekend outings for everyone, said her eldest son, Donald.

And when she returned home to California, she brought presents for her sons. “She always thought of how her family could be happy,” he said.

Trained as a nurse in her home country, Marcos immigrated to the United States in 2001 and settled in Los Angeles. Three years later, she became a telemetry charge nurse, a specialist who tracks patients’ vital signs using high-tech equipment.

On April 3, she was one of three nurses who responded after a suspected COVID patient went into cardiac arrest. Wearing a surgical mask, she intubated the patient. Three days later, she had a headache, body aches and difficulty breathing.

Her symptoms worsened, and she was admitted April 15 to the hospital where she had worked for 16 years. That was the last time Donald spoke to his mother. Two days later, she went into cardiac arrest and died that night.

Her sons plan to honor her wishes to be cremated and buried in Tagudin, alongside her parents.

— Christina M. Oriel, Asian Journal | Published May 5, 2020

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‘Hero Among Heroes,’ Doctor Cared For Generations Of Patients

Francis Molinari (right) with his siblings (from left) Janice, Albert and Lisa (Courtesy of Lisa Molinari)

Francis Molinari

Age: 70 Occupation: Physician Place of Work: Private practice in Belleville, New Jersey; privileges at Clara Maass Medical Center Date of Death: April 9, 2020

In late March, Dr. Francis “Frankie” Molinari told his sister Lisa he was “down for the count,” with chills, fever and trouble breathing.

“Frankie, you know what you have,” she recalled telling him.

“Yes.”

Two days later, he collapsed at home and was rushed to Clara Maass Medical Center. Colleagues stayed by his side as he succumbed to COVID-19.

“We take solace in the fact that he was cared for by colleagues and friends who deeply loved and respected him,” his sister Janice wrote in a blog. “He died a hero among heroes.”

Molinari, a New Jersey native who was married with an adult daughter, was the oldest of four siblings. His sisters describe him as a positive guy who loved music, fishing and teasing people with tall tales: He went to medical school in Bologna, Italy, and he liked to say he had played pinochle with the pope.

Molinari practiced medicine for over four decades, caring for generations of patients in the same family. His family suspects he contracted the coronavirus at his private practice.

“A friend had once described us as four different legs of the same table,” Janice wrote. “Now I’m stuck on the fact that we are only a three-legged table. Less beautiful, less sturdy. Broken.”

— Laura Ungar, Kaiser Health News | Published May 5, 2020

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5-Foot-Tall ‘Fireball’ Was A Prankster To Her Sons

(Courtesy Josh Banago)

Celia Yap-Banago

Age: 69 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri Date of Death: April 21, 2020

Celia Yap-Banago was a 5-foot-tall “fireball,” said one co-worker. She had moved to the U.S. from the Philippines in 1970 and worked for nearly 40 years for the HCA Midwest Health system. Her family said she was planning for retirement.

Her son Josh said she showed her love through practical jokes: “You knew she loved you if she was yelling at you or if she was pranking you.”

“She was very outspoken,” said Charlene Carter, a fellow nurse. “But I later learned that’s a really good quality to have, as a nurse, so you can advocate for your patients and advocate for yourself.”

In March, Yap-Banago treated a patient who later tested positive for COVID-19. Carter said Yap-Banago was not given personal protective equipment because she was not working in an area designed for COVID patients. She spent her final days in isolation to protect others.

A spokesperson for HCA Midwest Health said that medical staff received adequate personal protective equipment in line with CDC guidelines.

Josh said she spoke with reverence of her patients and their families. “She was always focused on the family as a whole, and that the family was taken care of, not just the patient in the bed,” he said.

— Alex Smith, KCUR | Published May 5, 2020

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In Ministry And Rescue Missions, ‘He Put His All Into It’

(Courtesy of the Birmingham Family)

Billy Birmingham Sr.

Age: 69 Occupation: Emergency medical technician Place of Work: Kansas City Missouri Fire Department Date of Death: April 13, 2020

Bill Birmingham Jr. fondly remembers the year his father took on a new career. The whole family studied, even acting out scenes to ensure Billy Birmingham Sr., a minister, was ready for his emergency medical technician exam.

“He put his all into it,” the son recalled.

Billy Birmingham passed the test. And from the late 1990s on, he served as an EMT and a minister.

His family rallied again for his doctorate in pastoral theology. During nearly four decades as a minister, he founded two churches.

“He had a heart for other people,” his son said. “Whatever he could do for other people, he would do it.”

As an EMT with the Kansas City Fire Missouri Department, he was exposed to the novel coronavirus. The cough came in March.

“‘I’m just tired.’ That’s what he kept saying,” his son said. His dad went to the hospital twice. The first time he told the staff about his symptoms and underlying health conditions, then they sent him home.

The second time he arrived in an ambulance. Just over two weeks later, his final hours arrived.

Hospital staff set up a video chat so his family could see him one last time.

— Cara Anthony, Kaiser Health News | Published May 1, 2020

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Jovial Man Trained Scores Of Doctors In Obstetrics, Gynecology And Kindness

(Courtesy of Ashley Ulker)

Luis Caldera-Nieves

Age: 63 Occupation: OB-GYN doctor Place of Work: University of Miami and Jackson health systems in Miami Date of Death: April 8, 2020

“Somos felices.” That was Dr. Luis Caldera-Nieves’ signature signoff after a cesarean section or patient visit or at the end of a difficult shift. “We’re happy,” he meant, and often, when he was around, it was true.

Caldera-Nieves, a popular OB-GYN, trained scores of doctors and helped bring thousands of babies into the world in his 25 years at the University of Miami and Jackson health systems.

Born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, he worked as an Air Force doctor before joining UM, said longtime co-worker Dr. Jaime Santiago. Caldera-Nieves was so devoted to his patients that he often gave them his private phone number — and his wife’s, Santiago said.

Because he was so jovial, he earned the nickname “the Puerto Rican Santa Claus,” Santiago said.

“He was truly loved and admired by everyone who worked with him, and will be remembered for his humor and never-ending positive energy,” said Dr. Jean-Marie Stephan, who trained under Caldera-Nieves.

In a statement, UM and Jackson confirmed Caldera-Nieves died from complications of COVID-19 and said they “grieve the loss of our esteemed and beloved colleague.” He is survived by his wife and six adult children.

— Melissa Bailey | Published May 1, 2020

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A Cluster Of Illness Robs Community Of Another Fearless EMT

(Courtesy of Vito Cicchetti)

Kevin Leiva

Age: 24 Occupation: Emergency medical technician Place of Work: Saint Clare’s Health in Passaic, New Jersey Date of Death: April 7, 2020

When Kevin Leiva died of COVID-19 in early April, it was a second crushing loss to his close-knit team of EMT workers. Their colleague, Israel Tolentino Jr., had died one week before.

“People were scared that everyone was going to die from it,” said Vito Cicchetti, a director at Saint Clare’s Health, where the men worked. “After Izzy died, we all started getting scared for Kevin.”

Leiva, according to an obituary, “was always worried about his crew.” He was “very proud” of his work and was recalled to have said “becoming an EMT was an act of God.”

He met his wife, Marina, online while they were in high school. She moved a thousand miles to build a life with him. He loved spending time at their home, playing guitar and tending to his tegu lizards, AJ and Blue.

As COVID-19 ramped up, the station’s three ambulances each handled up to 15 dispatches a shift, roughly double the usual number. In a busy 12-hour shift, EMTs often responded to calls continuously, stopping only to decontaminate themselves and the truck.

Leiva “always had a joke” that helped to defuse stressful situations and bring his co-workers together, Cicchetti said.

— Michelle Andrews | Published May 1, 2020

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Firefighting And ‘Helping People’ Were In His Blood

(Courtesy of the Terre Haute Fire Department)

John Schoffstall

Age: 41 Occupation: Paramedic and firefighter Place of Work: Terre Haute Fire Department in Terre Haute, Indiana Date of Death: April 12, 2020

John Schoffstall grew up around firehouses, and it was at his own firehouse in Terre Haute, Indiana, that he was exposed to the coronavirus.

A paramedic and firefighter with the Terre Haute Fire Department for almost 12 years, Schoffstall died April 12 at age 41. Deputy Chief Glen Hall said investigations by the county health department and his own department “determined John contracted the virus from another firefighter in the firehouse.” Four other firefighters “had symptoms but none progressed.”

“We respond every day to potential COVID patients,” Hall said.

Jennifer Schoffstall, his wife of 18 years, said her husband went to the hospital March 28.

“His breathing was so bad in the ER, they just decided to keep him,” she said. “He regressed from there.”

Hall said Schoffstall’s “biggest hobby was his family,” with a son, 17, and a daughter, 13.

Schoffstall’s father had been a volunteer firefighter, Jennifer said, and her husband signed up for the New Goshen Volunteer Fire Department when he turned 18.

“He loved the fire service and everything about it,” she said. “He loved helping people.”

— Sharon Jayson | Published May 1, 2020

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Boston Nurse, A Former Bus Driver, Was A Champion For Education

(Courtesy of Teadris Pope)

Rose Taldon

Age: 63 Occupation: Nurse Place of Work: New England Baptist Hospital in Boston Date of Death: April 12, 2020

Rose Taldon was just 5 feet tall. But when she bellowed out the window, her kids ran right home.

“She didn’t take any crap,” said her daughter, Teadris Pope.

Taldon raised three children with her husband on the street where she grew up in Dorchester, Boston. She was respected as a strong black woman, earning a nursing degree while working in public transit for 23 years. Described as stern, she still was quick to tickle her eight grandkids.

Taldon was generous: Even as she lay in a hospital in April, exhausted from the coronavirus, she arranged to pay bills for an out-of-work friend, her daughter said.

It’s unclear whether Taldon caught the virus at her hospital, designated for non-COVID patients. Hospital officials said three patients and 22 staff have tested positive.

Once her mother was hospitalized, Pope couldn’t visit. On Easter morning, a doctor called at 2 a.m., offering to put Taldon on a video call.

“I just talked until I had no words,” Pope said. “I was just telling her, ‘We’re so proud of you. You worked so hard raising us. … You’ve gone through a hell of a fight.'”

An hour later, her mother was gone.

— Melissa Bailey | Published May 1, 2020

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Unflappable First Responder With An Ever-Ready Smile

(Courtesy of Vito Cicchetti)

Israel Tolentino Jr.

Age: 33 Occupation: Emergency medical technician and firefighter Place of Work: Saint Clare’s Health and the Passaic Fire Department, both in Passaic, New Jersey Date of Death: March 31, 2020

When Israel Tolentino Jr. arrived for his EMT shift one morning in March, he seemed fine. Then he got a headache. Then a fever came on, and he was sent home, said Vito Cicchetti, a director at Saint Clare’s Health.

Izzy, as he was called, was an EMT who fulfilled his dream to become a firefighter. In 2018, the former Marine took a job with the Passaic Fire Department but kept up shifts at Saint Clare’s.

He was husband to Maria Vazquez, whom he’d met at church, according to nj.com. They had two young children.

The work pace could be brutal during the pandemic. In a 12-hour shift, Tolentino and his partner were dispatched to one emergency after another, each typically lasting under an hour but requiring nearly that long to decontaminate their gear and truck.

Izzy died in hospital care. The coronavirus tore through his EMT team. Most eventually recovered. But his friend and co-worker Kevin Leiva also died.

Izzy’s unflappable, cheerful presence is missed, Cicchetti said: “No matter how mad you were, he’d come up with a smile and you’d be chuckling to yourself.”

Cicchetti hasn’t replaced either man: “I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet.”

— Michelle Andrews | Published May 1, 2020

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Their Decade-Long Dream Marriage Ends In Nightmare

(Courtesy of the Detroit Fire Department)

Capt. Franklin Williams

Age: 57 Occupation: Firefighter and medical first responder Place of Work: Detroit Fire Department in Detroit Date of Death: April 8, 2020

Capt. Franklin Williams stood at the altar on his wedding day and pretended to hunt for the ring. He patted his chest, then his pants legs and looked up at his soon-to-be wife with a million-dollar smile.

He was always clowning and “so silly,” said Shanita Williams, his wife, recalling how he wanted to make her laugh. Williams, 57, died from complications of the novel coronavirus on April 8 — one month before the couple’s 10-year wedding anniversary.

Williams had been on an emergency call with a verified COVID patient before falling ill, according to Detroit Fire Department Chief Robert Distelrath. He died in the line of duty.

Crews are equipped with personal protective equipment including a gown, N95 mask and gloves. But it’s easy for a mask to slip ― “when you’re giving [chest] compressions, your mask isn’t staying in place all the time,” said Thomas Gehart, president of the Detroit Fire Fighters Association.

When Williams fell sick on March 24, he moved to the guest bedroom and never returned to work.

“I’m thankful and thank God for having him in my life,” Shanita said, adding that she keeps hoping this is a nightmare and she’ll soon wake up.

— Sarah Jane Tribble, Kaiser Health News | Published May 1, 2020

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A 9/11 First Responder, He Answered The Call During The Pandemic

(Courtesy of the Valley Stream Fire Department)

Mike Field

Age: 59 Occupation: Volunteer emergency medical technician Place of Work: Village of Valley Stream on New York’s Long Island Date of Death: April 8, 2020

Mike Field had a strong sense of civic duty. An emergency medical technician, he was a first responder with the New York Fire Department (FDNY) on 9/11. He was also a member of his community’s all-volunteer fire department since 1987.

After he retired from FDNY in 2002, he took a job making and posting street signs with his local public works department. He continued to volunteer with Valley Stream’s fire department and mentoring the junior fire department. When he wasn’t responding to emergencies or training future emergency technicians, he led a Boy Scout troop and volunteered for animal causes.

“Here’s somebody who cares about the community and cares about its people,” said Valley Stream’s mayor, Ed Fare, who had known Mike since the seventh grade.

Stacey Field, Mike’s wife, said he found his calling early, after his own father experienced a heart attack. “When the fire department EMTs came and helped his dad, he decided that’s what he wanted to do,” she said.

Their three sons ― Steven, 26; Richie, 22; and Jason, 19 — have followed in their father’s footsteps. Steven and Richie are EMTs in New York; Jason plans on training to become one as well. All three volunteer at the same fire station their father did.

In late March, Mike and fellow volunteer responders were called to an emergency involving a patient showing symptoms of COVID-19. Field died on April 8.

— Sharon Jayson | Published April 29, 2020

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Nurse Fought For His Life In Same ICU Where He Cared For Patients

(Courtesy of Romielyn Guillermo)

Ali Dennis Guillermo

Age: 44 Occupation: Nurse Place of Work: Long Island Community Hospital in East Patchogue, New York Date of Death: April 7, 2020

In 2004, Ali Dennis Guillermo, his wife, Romielyn, and their daughter came to New York from the Philippines to find a better life.

Everything fell into place. The former nursing instructor landed a job at Long Island Community Hospital, often working in intensive care or the emergency room. He enjoyed the intensity of ER work, his wife said. As years passed, the couple had two sons and settled into a close-knit Philippine community.

As COVID-19 emerged, Guillermo was posted to the step-down floor, working with patients transitioning out of intensive care.

A lot of the nurses on his floor had gotten sick with the virus, his wife said, and “everybody was scared.”

And then, Guillermo felt achy, with a fever that soared to 102. He went to the hospital and X-rays were taken, but he was sent home. Within days, his blood oxygen level plummeted.

“My nails are turning blue,” he told his wife. “You should take me to the ER.”

He was admitted that night in late March, and they never spoke again.

In the ICU unit where he’d often worked, Guillermo was intubated and treated. Nearly two weeks later, he died.

— Michelle Andrews | Published April 29, 2020

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An Eager Student, He Aimed To Become A Physician Assistant

(Courtesy of Catrisha House-Phelps)

James House

Age: 40 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Omni Continuing Care nursing home in Detroit Date of Death: March 31, 2020

James House had a voracious appetite for learning about and a fascination with the human body.

His sister, Catrisha House-Phelps, traces it back to childhood visits to a dialysis center where their father received treatments. “That was what tugged at his heart,” she said. “He just always wanted to know ‘why.’”

House-Phelps said her brother adored his five children, treasured his anatomy and physiology books and got a kick out of the residents he cared for at Omni Continuing Care. “He thought they were family; he just said they were funny people,” she said. He had hoped to go back to school to become a physician assistant.

House came down with what he thought was the flu in mid-March. His sister said he tried to get tested for COVID-19 but was turned away because he was not showing textbook symptoms and had no underlying health issues. On March 31, after resting at home for over a week, House returned to work. Hours later, he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.

He texted his sister with updates on his condition. “I’m about to be intubated now,” he wrote. It was the last message he sent her.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 29, 2020

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She Loved A Parade And Catering To Patients

Pamela Hughes and her daughter, Brie (Courtesy of Angie McAllister)

Pamela Hughes

Age: 50 Occupation: Nursing home medication aide Place of Work: Signature HealthCARE at Summit Manor in Columbia, Kentucky Date of Death: April 13, 2020

Pamela Hughes lived her entire life in rural Columbia, Kentucky, but longed for wide, sandy beaches. For vacation, Hughes and her daughter, Brie, 26, eagerly drove 14 hours to Daytona Beach, Florida, or Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

After high school, Hughes worked at Summit Manor, a nursing home in Columbia, for 32 years. She knew which residents preferred chocolate milk or applesauce with their medication; she remembered their favorite outfits and colors. Hughes’ shy demeanor vanished each December when she and co-worker Angie McAllister built a float for the town’s Christmas parade competition.

“We built 10 floats over 10 years,” McAllister said. “We got second place every year.”

Even after several residents tested positive for the coronavirus, Hughes dismissed her worsening cough as allergies or bronchitis. The nursing home was short on help and she wanted to serve her patients, Brie said.

Days later, the public health department suggested her mother get tested. She tested positive, and her health worsened — food tasted bitter, her fever soared, her hearing dulled. On April 10, Hughes was taken by ambulance to a hospital, then by helicopter to Jewish Hospital in Louisville. Barred from visiting, Brie said goodbye over FaceTime.

— Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News | Published April 29, 2020

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The Family Matriarch And ‘We’re Failing Miserably Without Her’

(Courtesy of Ginu John)

Aleyamma John

Age: 65 Occupation: Registered nurse Place of Work: Queens Hospital Center in New York City Date of Death: April 5, 2020

Aleyamma John’s family wanted her to retire. Her husband, Johnny, an MTA transit worker, had stopped working a few years earlier. He and their son Ginu urged her to follow suit. “We told her, ‘I’m sure Dad wants to see the world with you — you need to give him that opportunity,’” Ginu said.

She demurred. “I think she found fulfillment in being able to serve,” Ginu said. “She was able to hold people’s hands, you know, even when they were deteriorating and be there for them.” She began her career as a nurse in India 45 years ago; she and her husband immigrated to the United Arab Emirates, where their two sons were born, and moved to New York in 2002.

Ginu said his mother, a devout Christian, found joy in tending to her vegetable garden and doting on her two grandchildren. She cooked dishes from her native India and filled the Long Island home she shared with Johnny, Ginu and Ginu’s family with flowers.

In March, as Queens Hospital Center began to swell with COVID-19 patients, John sent her family a photo of herself and colleagues wearing surgical hats and masks but not enough personal protective equipment. Days later, she developed a fever and tested positive for the virus. Johnny, Ginu and Ginu’s wife, Elsa, a nurse practitioner, also became ill.

When John’s breathing became labored, her family made the difficult decision to call 911. It would be the last time they saw her. “We’re 17 days in, and I feel like we’re failing miserably without her,” Ginu said.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 29, 2020

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‘A Kind Man’ Looking Forward To Retirement

(Courtesy of Jesse Soto)

Thomas Soto

Age: 59 Occupation: Radiology clerk Place of Work: Woodhull Medical Center, a public hospital in Brooklyn, New York Date of Death: April 7, 2020

After more than 30 years at one of New York City’s busy public hospitals, Thomas Soto loved his job but was looking forward to retiring, said his son, Jesse Soto, who lived with him.

At Soto’s busy station near the emergency room, he greeted patients and took down their information.

“Everybody saw him before their X-rays,” Soto, 29, said. “He smiled all day, made jokes. He was a kind man.”

As COVID patients began to overwhelm Woodhull and other emergency rooms across the city, Soto said that at first his father didn’t have any protective gear.

He eventually got a mask. But he still grew very sick, developing a high fever, body aches and a wracking cough. After a week, Soto said, “he couldn’t take it anymore.”

He went to Woodhull, where he was admitted. When they tried to put him on a ventilator two days later, he died. The hospital did not respond to requests for comment.

— Michelle Andrews | Published April 29, 2020

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‘Blooming’ In Her First Job On Path To Becoming A Nurse

(Courtesy of the Viveros family via GoFundMe)

Valeria Viveros

Age: 20 Occupation: Nursing assistant Place of Work: Extended Care Hospital of Riverside, California Date of Death: April 5, 2020

At 20 years old, Valeria Viveros was “barely blooming,” developing the skills and ambition to pursue a nursing career, said Gustavo Urrea, her uncle. Working at Extended Care Hospital of Riverside was her first job.

Viveros, born in California to Mexican immigrants, grew attached to her patients at the nursing home, bringing them homemade ceviche, Urrea said. About a month ago, as he watched her cook, play and joke with her grandmother, he noticed how much her social skills had grown.

When she would say “Hi, Tío,” in her playful, sweet, high-pitched voice, “it was like the best therapy you could have,” Urrea recalled. Viveros, who lived with her parents and two siblings, was enrolled in classes at a community college.

Viveros felt sick on March 30, went to a nearby hospital and was sent home with Tylenol, Urrea said. By April 4, she couldn’t get out of bed on her own. She left in an ambulance and never came back.

“We’re all destroyed,” he said. “I can’t even believe it.”

On April 5, county health officials reported a coronavirus outbreak had sickened 30 patients and some staff at her nursing home. Trent Evans, general counsel for Extended Care, said staffers are heartbroken by her death.

Viveros was “head over heels in love with the residents that she served,” he said. “She was always there for them.”

— Melissa Bailey | Published April 29, 2020

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Surgical Technician Made Friends Everywhere She Went

(Courtesy of Jorge Casarez)

Monica Echeverri Casarez

Age: 49 Occupation: Surgical technician Place of Work: Detroit Medical Center Harper University Hospital in Detroit Date of Death: April 11, 2020

Monica Echeverri Casarez was in constant motion, said her husband, Jorge Casarez. The daughter of Colombian immigrants, she worked as a Spanish-English interpreter in clinical settings. She was the kind of person whose arrival at a mom and pop restaurant would elicit hugs from the owners. She also co-founded Southwest Detroit Restaurant Week, a nonprofit that supports local businesses.

Twice a month, she scrubbed in as a surgical technician at Harper University Hospital. “She liked discovering the beauty of how the body works and how science is clear and orderly,” Casarez said. She was organized and intuitive, qualities that are assets in the operating room. On March 21, she posted a photo of herself in protective gear with the caption: “I’d be lying if I said I wan’t at least a bit nervous to be there now.” Since many elective surgeries had been canceled, Echeverri Casarez was tasked with taking the temperatures of people who walked into the hospital and making sure their hands were sterilized.

Soon after, Echeverri Casarez and Casarez began feeling ill. Quarantined together, Echeverri Casarez tried to make the best of the situation. She baked her husband a cake — chocolate with white frosting. She died a few days later.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 24, 2020

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A Whip-Smart Neurologist Endlessly Fascinated With The Brain

(Courtesy of Jennifer Sclar)

Gary Sclar

Age: 66 Occupation: Neurologist Place of Work: Mount Sinai Queens in New York City Date of Death: April 12, 2020

Gary Sclar was a whip-smart neurologist who loved comic books, “Game of Thrones” and “Star Wars,” said his daughter, Jennifer Sclar. He was deeply compassionate with a blunt bedside manner.

“My dad was fascinated with the brain and with science,” Jennifer Sclar said. “His work was his passion, and it’s what made him the happiest, besides my brother and me.” Set to retire in June, he was looking forward to writing about politics and neurology.

Gary Sclar saw patients who were showing COVID-19 symptoms and knew his age and underlying health conditions ― he had diabetes — put him at risk for developing complications from the illness. His daughter pleaded with him to stop going to the hospital.

In early April, he mentioned having lost his sense of smell, and on April 8 he collapsed in his home. He was hospitalized a few days later and agreed to be intubated. “I don’t think he realized, like, that this was the end,” Jennifer Sclar said. “He brought his keys. He brought his wallet.”

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 24, 2020

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An Exacting But Loving Aunt, She Was A Mentor Until The End

(Courtesy of Jhoanna Mariel Buendia)

Araceli Buendia Ilagan

Age: 63 Occupation: Intensive care unit nurse Place of Work: Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami Date of Death: March 27, 2020

For Jhoanna Mariel Buendia, her aunt was a constant ― if distant — presence. Araceli Buendia Ilagan emigrated from their hometown Baguio, in the Philippines, to the U.S. before Buendia was born, but she remained close to her family and communicated with them nearly every day.

“She was one of the smartest people I ever knew,” Buendia, 27, said. Buendia Ilagan, who at one point looked into adopting her niece so she could join her and her husband the United States, encouraged Buendia to become a nurse, and talked her through grueling coursework in anatomy and physiology. Buendia is now a nurse in London.

Buendia Ilagan was also demanding. “Whenever she visited the Philippines, she wanted everything to be organized and squeaky-clean,” Buendia said.

The last time the two spoke, in late March, Buendia Ilagan didn’t mention anything about feeling ill. Instead, the two commiserated over their experiences of treating patients with COVID-19; as always, her aunt offered her advice on staying safe while giving the best possible care. She died four days later.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 22, 2020

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A Beloved Geriatric Psychiatrist And Church Musician Remembered For His Cooking Skills

(Courtesy of Nida Gonzales)

Leo Dela Cruz

Age: 57 Occupation: Geriatric psychiatrist Place of Work: Christ Hospital and CarePoint Health in Jersey City, New Jersey Date of Death: April 8, 2020

Dr. Leo Dela Cruz was nervous about going to work in the weeks before he died, his friends said. Like many in the region, Christ Hospital had an influx of COVID-19 patients and faced a shortage of ventilators and masks.

Dela Cruz was a geriatric psychiatrist and didn’t work in coronavirus wards. But he continued to see patients in person. In early April, Dela Cruz, who lived alone, complained only of migraines, his friends said. Within a week, his condition worsened, and he was put on a ventilator at a nearby hospital. He died soon after.

Friends said he may have been exposed at the hospital. (In a statement, hospital representatives said he didn’t treat COVID-19 patients.)

Dela Cruz, the oldest of 10 siblings, came from a family of health care professionals. His friends and family — from Cebu, Philippines, to Teaneck, New Jersey — remembered his jovial personality on Facebook. He won “best doctor of the year” awards, played tennis and cooked traditional Cebu dishes.

Nida Gonzales, a colleague, said he always supported people, whether funding a student’s education or running a church mental health program. “I feel like I lost a brother,” she said.

— Ankita Rao, The Guardian | Published April 22, 2020

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Alabama Nurse Remembered As Selfless But Sassy

(Courtesy of Amanda Williams)

Rose Harrison

Age: 60 Occupation: Nurse Place of Work: Marion Regional Nursing Home in Hamilton, Alabama Date of Death: April 6, 2020

Rose Harrison, 60, lived to serve others ― her husband, three daughters, grandchildren and the residents of the nursing home where she worked. Though the Alabama nurse was selfless, she also had a sassy edge to her personality and a penchant for road rage, her daughter, Amanda Williams said.

“Her personality was so funny, you automatically loved her,” Williams said. “She was so outspoken. If she didn’t agree with you, she’d tell you in a respectful way.”

Harrison was not wearing a mask when she cared for a patient who later tested positive for COVID-19 at Marion Regional Nursing Home in Hamilton, Alabama, her daughter said. She later developed a cough, fatigue and a low-grade fever, but kept reporting to duty all week. Officials from the nursing home did not return calls for comment.

On April 3, Williams drove her mother to a hospital. The following evening, Harrison discussed the option of going on a ventilator with loved ones on a video call, agreeing it was the best course. Williams believed that her mother fully expected to recover. She died April 6.

— Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published April 22, 2020

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Connecticut Social Worker Had Angelic Singing Voice And A Zest For Life

(Courtesy of the Hunt family)

Curtis Hunt

Age: 57 Occupation: Social worker Places of Work: Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center and New Reach, both in New Haven, Connecticut Date of Death: March 23, 2020

At a shelter for adults recovering from addiction, residents looked forward to the days when Marion “Curtis” Hunt would take the stage, emceeing talent shows and belting out Broadway and gospel tunes.

It wasn’t part of his job description as a social worker. It was just one of the ways he went “above and beyond,” said his supervisor at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, Daena Murphy. “He had a beautiful voice,” she said. “He was just a wonderful person — funny, engaging, always a huge smile on his face.”

Hunt, the youngest of four brothers, earned his master’s in social work from Fordham University at 52, and was baptized at his brother’s Pentecostal church at 54. He was a devoted uncle who doted on his dog and cat, Mya and Milo.

It’s unclear how Hunt got infected, but one patient he worked with had tested positive for COVID-19, as did two co-workers, according to Dr. Ece Tek, another supervisor at Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center. Hunt died on March 23, one week after developing flu-like symptoms, said his brother John Mann Jr.

— Melissa Bailey | Published April 22, 2020

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To The End, King-Smith Was Driven By A Desire To Help Others

(Courtesy of Hassana Salaam-Rivers)

Kim King-Smith

Age: 53 Occupation: Electrocardiogram technician Place of Work: University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey Date of Death: March 31, 2020

Kim King-Smith was a natural caregiver. An only child, she grew up close to her extended family, including her cousins Hassana Salaam-Rivers and Sharonda Salaam. After Salaam developed multiple sclerosis, King-Smith visited her every day.

“She’d bring her sweets that she wasn’t supposed to have and share them with her,” Salaam-Rivers said. King-Smith’s desire to care for others was the reason she became an electrocardiogram technician, her cousin added. “If a friend of a friend or family member went to the hospital, she would always go and visit them as soon as her shift was over,” she said.

In March, King-Smith cared for a patient she said had symptoms of COVID-19; she soon fell ill herself and tested positive for the virus. It seemed like a mild case at first, and she stayed in touch with family via FaceTime while trying to isolate from her husband, Lenny.

On March 29, Salaam-Rivers checked in on her cousin and noticed she was struggling to breathe. She urged her to call an ambulance. After King-Smith was hospitalized, she exchanged text messages with her mother and cousin. As the day progressed, her messages carried increasingly grave news, Salaam-Rivers said. Then she stopped responding.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 22, 2020

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On The Eve Of Retirement, VA Nurse Succumbs To COVID-19

(Courtesy of Mark Accad)

Debbie Accad

Age: 72 Occupation: Clinical nursing coordinator Place of Work: Detroit VA Medical Center in Detroit, Michigan Date of Death: March 30, 2020

Nurse Divina “Debbie” Accad had cared for veterans for over 25 years and was set to retire in April. But after contracting the novel coronavirus, she spent her final 11 days on a ventilator — and didn’t survive past March.

She joined a growing list of health care professionals working on the front lines of the pandemic who have died from COVID-19.

Accad, 72, a clinical nursing coordinator at the Detroit VA Medical Center, dedicated her life to nursing, according to her son Mark Accad.

“She died doing what she loved most,” he said. “That was caring for people.”

Read more here.

— Melissa Bailey | Published April 15, 2020

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California Nurse Thrived In ER and ICU, But Couldn’t Survive COVID-19

Jeff Baumbach and his wife, Karen (Courtesy of the Baumbach family)

Jeff Baumbach

Age: 57 Occupation: Nurse Place of Work: St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Stockton, California Date of Death: March 31, 2020

Jeff Baumbach, 57, was a seasoned nurse of 28 years when the novel coronavirus began to circulate in California. He’d worked in the ER, the ICU and on a cardiac floor. Hepatitis and tuberculosis had been around over the years but never posed a major concern. He’d cared for patients who had tuberculosis.

Jeff and his wife, Karen Baumbach, also a nurse, initially didn’t consider it significantly riskier than challenges they’d faced for years.

“He’d worked in the ICU. He was exposed to so many things, and we never got anything,” she said. “This was just ramping up.”

One day during work, Jeff sent a sarcastic text to his wife: “I love wearing a mask every day.”

Within weeks, he would wage a difficult and steady fight against the virus that ended with a sudden collapse.

Read more here.

— Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published April 15, 2020

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Nurse’s Faith Led Her To Care For Prisoners At A New Jersey Jail

(Courtesy of Denise Rendor)

Daisy Doronila

Age: 60 Occupation: Nurse Place of Work: Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny, New Jersey Date of Death: April 5, 2020

Daisy Doronila had a different perspective than most who worked at the Hudson County Correctional Facility, a New Jersey lockup 11 miles from Manhattan. It was a place where the veteran nurse could put her Catholic faith into action, showing kindness to marginalized people.

“There would be people there for the most heinous crimes,” said her daughter, Denise Rendor, 28, “but they would just melt towards my mother because she really was there to give them care with no judgment.”

Doronila, 60, died April 5, two weeks after testing positive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The jail has been hit hard by the virus, with 27 inmates and 68 staff members having tested positive. Among those, another nurse, a correctional officer and a clerk also died, according to Ron Edwards, Hudson County’s director of corrections.

Doronila fell ill before the scope of the jail infections were known. She was picking up extra shifts in the weeks before, her daughter said, and planning on a trip to Israel soon with friends from church.

That plan began to fall apart March 14, when someone at the jail noticed her coughing and asked her to go home and visit a doctor.

Read more here.

— Christina Jewett, Kaiser Health News | Published April 15, 2020

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An Army Veteran, Hospital Custodian ‘Loved Helping People’

(Courtesy of Michelle Wilcox)

Alvin Simmons

Age: 54 Occupation: Environmental service assistant Place of Work: Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, New York Death: March 17, 2020

Alvin Simmons started working as a custodian at Rochester General Hospital, in New York state, weeks before he fell ill. “He loved helping people and he figured the best place to do that would be in a hospital,” his sister, Michelle Wilcox said.

An Army veteran who had served in the first Gulf War, Simmons loved karaoke and doted on his three grandchildren, Wilcox said. “He was a dedicated, hardworking individual who had just changed his life around” since a prison stint, she said.

According to Wilcox, Simmons began developing symptoms shortly after cleaning the room of a woman he believed was infected with the novel coronavirus. “Other hospital employees did not want to clean the room because they said they weren’t properly trained” to clean the room of someone potentially infected, she said. “They got my brother from a different floor, because he had just started there,” she said. (In an email, a hospital spokesperson said they had “no evidence to suggest that Mr. Simmons was at a heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19 by virtue of his training or employment duties at RGH.”)

On March 11, he visited the emergency room at Rochester General, where he was tested for COVID-19, Wilcox said. Over the next few days, as he rested at his girlfriend’s home, his breathing became more labored and he began to cough up blood. He was rushed to the hospital on March 13, where he was later declared brain-dead. Subsequently, he received a COVID-19 diagnosis. Simmons died on March 17.

— Danielle Renwick, The Guardian | Published April 15, 2020

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Nurse At Nevada VA Dies After Caring For Infected Colleague

(Courtesy of Bob Thompson)

Vianna Thompson

Age: 52 Occupation: Nurse Places of Work: VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System and Northern Nevada Medical Center in Reno, Nevada Date of Death: April 7, 2020

Nurse Vianna Thompson, 52, spent two night shifts caring for a fellow Veterans Affairs health care worker who was dying from COVID-19.

Two weeks later, she too was lying in a hospital intensive care unit, with a co-worker holding her hand as she died.

Thompson and the man she treated were among three VA health care workers in Reno, Nevada, to die in two weeks from complications of the novel coronavirus.

“It’s pretty devastating. It’s surreal. Reno’s not that big of a city,” said Robyn Underhill, a night nurse who worked with Thompson in the ER at Reno’s VA hospital the past two years.

Thompson, who dreamed of teaching nursing one day, died April 7, joining a growing list of health care professionals killed in the pandemic.

Read more here.

— Melissa Bailey | Published April 15, 2020

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Dr. J. Ronald Verrier Was Busy Saving Lives Before The Pandemic

(Courtesy of Christina Pardo)

J. Ronald Verrier

Age: 59 Occupation: Surgeon Place of Work: St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York Date of Death: April 8, 2020

Dr. J. Ronald Verrier, a surgeon at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, spent the final weeks of his audacious, unfinished life tending to a torrent of patients inflicted with COVID-19. He died April 8 at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, New York, at age 59, after falling ill from the novel coronavirus.

Verrier led the charge even as the financially strapped St. Barnabas Hospital struggled to find masks and gowns to protect its workers — many nurses continue to make cloth masks — and makeshift morgues in the parking lot held patients who had died.

“He did a good work,” said Jeannine Sherwood, a nurse manager at St. Barnabas Hospital who worked closely with Verrier.

“He can rest.”

Read more here.

— Sarah Varney, Kaiser Health News | Published April 15, 2020

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America’s First ER Doctor To Die In The Heat Of COVID-19 Battle

(Courtesy of Debra Vasalech Lyons)

Frank Gabrin

Age: 60 Occupation: Doctor Places of Work: St. John’s Episcopal in Queens, New York, and East Orange General in New Jersey Date of Death: March 26, 2020

At about 5 a.m. on March 19, a New York City ER physician named Frank Gabrin texted a friend about his concerns over the lack of medical supplies at hospitals.

“It’s busy ― everyone wants a COVID test that I do not have to give them,” he wrote in the message to Eddy Soffer. “So they are angry and disappointed.”

Worse, though, was the limited availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) — the masks and gloves that help keep health care workers from getting sick and spreading the virus to others. Gabrin said he had no choice but to don the same mask for several shifts, against Food and Drug Administration guidelines.

“Don’t have any PPE that has not been used,” he wrote. “No N95 masks ― my own goggles — my own face shield,” he added, referring to the N95 respirators considered among the best lines of defense.

Less than two weeks later, Gabrin became the first ER doctor in the U.S. known to have died as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Read more here.

— Alastair Gee, The Guardian | Published April 10, 2020

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This story is part of “Lost on the Frontline,” an ongoing project from The Guardian and Kaiser Health News that aims to document the lives of health care workers in the U.S. who die from COVID-19, and to investigate why so many are victims of the disease. If you have a colleague or loved one we should include, please share their story.

Lost On The Frontline published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/