Wednesday 23 March marks two years since the first lockdown. The Guardian has collated 24 tributes for people who have died from coronavirus – one for every month since the first lockdown began.
* * *
March 2020
Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab
Covid took the life of Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab at the age of 13, a little more than a week after England locked down for the first time. It also took his family’s chance to lay him to rest.
Two siblings of Ismail, believed at the time to be the first child in the UK to die with the virus, began displaying symptoms shortly before his funeral, meaning his relatives had to self-isolate.
They described him as a “gentle and kind” boy with a “heart-warming” smile, the BBC reported. His sister later told reporters: “I think, with everything happening so fast, it is hard to accept reality, especially when you don’t see them during their last moments.”
His case was among those to prompt government ministers to rethink the rules around funerals, with the then health secretary Matt Hancock saying the sight of his coffin “being lowered into a grave without a member of his family present was too awful”.
* * *
April 2020
Belly Mujinga
Belly Mujinga’s family are still waiting for answers nearly two years after she died.
The rail worker was on duty at London’s Victoria station in late March 2020, when it was alleged a person claiming to have the virus coughed and spat at her and a colleague. Mujinga, mother to Ingrid and wife of Lusamba Gode Katalay, died two weeks later.
She was remembered as a generous woman who would leave no one behind; her family recounting several stories of her bringing people lost and alone on London’s vast transport network home with her, feeding them and paying for them to get where they needed to go.
Yet they felt she was abandoned when she needed help. She was a woman with underlying health conditions sent to work in direct contact with the public during a pandemic, a woman who died alone and whose funeral was limited to only 10 people.
An independent scientific expert is to examine her case but the inquest it is hoped will finally provide some clarity is not expected to start until this summer.
* * *
May 2020
Coolio Carl Justin Morgan
Thought to be the youngest victim of the pandemic, Coolio Morgan lived only three days. His father Carl Morgan told reporters that said medics kept Coolio alive just long enough for him and the child’s mother, Kimberly Phillips, to see him.
“The only time I saw him was on the last day of his life,” his father told an inquest into the child’s death. Speaking after the hearing at Pontypridd coroner’s court, he said: “They told me he’d tested positive for coronavirus too, which meant I wouldn’t be allowed to see him or hold his hand.”
The inquest heard how Coolio’s mother tested positive after giving birth. Maternal Covid-19 was listed as a secondary cause of his death. His brain had also been starved of blood and oxygen due to another condition.
* * *
June 2020
Richzeal Albufera
One of the many health workers who fell victim to the virus as they worked to save other people from it, Richzeal Albufera was a biomedical scientist at Castle Hill hospital in Cottingham, near Hull.
His death with Covid on 9 June at Hull Royal Infirmary prompted a fundraising campaign to repatriate his body to the Philippines. His widow was moved to offer her thanks when the £10,000 target was met, as she acknowledged the “caring messages” she had received from wellwishers.
* * *
July 2020
Dick Lukehurst
The 91-year-old tested positive for Covid while receiving hospital treatment for a fractured femur, having tested negative when he arrived at the facility. Within two months, he had died – with an inquest hearing later that Covid had been a contributory factor.
Dick Lukehurst’s wife, Thelma, said that, while he later appeared to be free of infection, it had “done a lot of damage” to his body. “Being in that bed alone and unable to move must have been hell for him,” she told the Kent Messenger.
Recalling one of their final conversations, she told the paper: “He told me not to reproach myself and that we had had 43 wonderful years together. After that he was just too weak to hold the phone. Being so cut off from his family and alone broke his spirit completely.
“I was the only one allowed to visit. His son, Paul, didn’t see him in all the time he was in hospital, which was very sad for them both.”
* * *
August 2020
Andrea Maftei
Andrea Maftei, a cafe worker, became the first person to die in Northern Ireland after a four-day reprieve during which the authorities had recorded no deaths in summer 2020.
Maftei, originally from Romania, was described as a “trusted employee [and] a very loyal friend” by colleagues, who said they were “astounded at the news [of her death] and utterly heartbroken”.
According to the BBC, her father spoke of his anguish that restrictions meant she had “left us far away in Ireland in a hospital bed”, saying: “Our daughter Andrea passed away among the angels, killed by this miserable virus at only 32 years old.”
* * *
September 2020
John Fleming
The 79-year-old John Fleming died as an outbreak struck patients and staff at Craigavon Area Hospital, in Co Armagh. Fleming’s death followed his admission to the haematology ward for bone cancer treatment. The BBC reported that the father of four was one of two haematology patients with Covid-19 to die within 48 hours at the hospital.
His daughter, Yvonne Stewart, said she wanted her father’s death to serve as a warning. “This could happen to anybody, anywhere. I’ve such an ache in my heart, we all have. People need to wise up. Yes, you may get Covid, and it might be a mild attack, but you could pass that on to somebody else unwittingly, who passes that on to their parents or somebody who is very, very ill already.”
* * *
October 2020
Roehl Ribaya
The moment Roehl Ribaya left Blackpool Victoria hospital to applause from staff in July 2020 was heralded by one senior medic as an indication that the hospital had “survived the first wave of this silent killer”.
But Ribaya never fully recovered from the illness and died on 15 October, having slipped into a coma two days earlier. When he returned home after his lengthy stay in hospital for treatment for Covid, he frequently struggled for breath and to carry out even straightforward tasks, such as walking up the stairs.
“He was depressed when he came out of the hospital because he is 47 and should be fit and well but he felt like a 90-year-old man,” said his close friend, Mark Delabajam, at the time.
* * *
November 2020
Sonia Partridge
Sonia Partridge was described as the “backbone of our family”, who “put magic into everything she did” by her partner after her death at the age of 35 on 17 November. Partridge, a mother to 13 children, “loved everyone with a passion”, Kerry Ann Partridge said.
She added: “I just walk into a room and expect to see her and she’s not there. I’m watching the younger children running around like nothing has changed, and it’s very hard to accept she’s never going to see them grow up.
“It’s left a massive hole in all our lives. It’s hard telling the little ones she’s gone away with the angels and she’s not coming home.”
* * *
December 2020
Lauren Jones
Aged just 25 when Covid killed her on 30 December, Lauren Jones’ family said her death should serve as a warning to the country that the virus was claiming the young as well as the elderly.
Her father, Paul Jones, told the Guardian he believed Lauren fell ill so quickly she did not have the chance to fight the virus. “It’s shocked everyone,” he said.
“People just don’t realise what can happen with this virus. It is taking lives and can take young lives too. Sadly it took Lauren’s. It must have taken its grip so quickly on her she never really had the chance to fight it. It all happened so quickly.”
* * *
January 2021
Claudia Marsh
The teacher and charity volunteer Claudia Marsh, whose relatives said “loved giving back to people less fortunate than herself” died on 20 January – her 25th birthday.
During her life, she worked with the Merseyside-based charities Talking Eating Disorders (TEDS) and the Whitechapel Centre, where she had previously sought help for her own eating disorder.
“Claudia was very special, kind, caring and a dedicated teacher,” said family friend Leigh Best, the founder of TEDS. Best added: “She was full of positivity, kindness and hope, and had a smile that would brighten up the whole room.”
* * *
February 2021
Linda Udeagbala
The NHS nurse from Croydon reportedly turned down remote working in favour of caring for patients in person.
Her son, Colin Udeagbala, said she had inspired her whole family to go into healthcare, telling reporters. “My family is full of NHS workers and it all started from my mum, all the inspiration came from her,” he said. “She was first and we saw her do it then everybody started to follow suit.
“That’s what she wanted for all of us, to study medicine or study nursing … to help people. She instilled in us to care for others and that’s it’s not just a job. She was just a wonderful lady, always going above and beyond for others.”
He described how she had ignored the possibility of working remotely, adding: “She didn’t listen and wanted to have direct contact, she loved the job. She was all about caring for one another, loving one another, no matter your race or background, and she was loved by everybody.”
* * *
March 2021
Margaret Waine
Margaret Waine, a healthcare assistant, died on 1 March 2021. Waine, who was 64, had worked for St Helens and Knowsley teaching hospitals NHS trust since 1981.
According to the Nursing Standard, she was a mother to Michael, Elizabeth and Gregory, and grandmother to Olivia and Mason.
The trust’s chief executive said: “Margaret was a much-loved member of staff, always kind and caring towards her patients and colleagues. She will be greatly missed by everyone at the trust.”
* * *
April 2021
Reverend John Anderson
Rev John Anderson lost his life due to Covid on 17 April 2021, when he was 46. He had been rector of Billy and Derrykeighan, in Ireland, since June 2005.
According to the Diocese of Connor, Anderson – a Church of Ireland clergyman – became ill around a week before his death, and died in the Intensive Care Unit of Causeway Hospital, Coleraine.
The Bishop of Connor, the Right Rev George Davison, paid tribute to Anderson, saying: “John Anderson’s death has come as a terrible shock to us all.
“He will be missed by so many people, but none more so than his wife Eleanor and their precious children.”
* * *
May 2021
George Cairns
The former ambulance technician George Cairns died aged 71 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley after testing positive for coronavirus nine days earlier.
Cains had been director of Bipolar Scotland, as ran the Glasgow group of the organisation, and according to Bipolar Scotland he was a “big presence in the organisation over the years”.
According to the BBC, his daughter, Gillian, paid tribute to his caring nature, saying: “Even if you only met him once he would tell you a story, a terrible joke or offer a supportive ear when you needed it the most.”
* * *
June 2021
Julie Lewis
Julie Lewis was 66 when she died of Covid-19. The former nurse died six days before her birthday.
Her daughter, Lucy, was vocal in calling for an inquiry into how the pandemic was handled. “My mum was everyone’s mum – nobody was not welcome around our house. She was the warmest person, and would do anything for anyone. Her whole life was dedicated to looking after others so much so that she put herself last,” she added.
* * *
July 2021
John Eyers
John Eyers was a “fit and healthy” 42-year-old who died of Covid-19 in July 2021, with friends describing him as “incredibly fit” and “one of the most active and fit people” they knew.
Paying tribute to her twin brother, Jenny McCann said that his death was “a tragedy”, and also detailed why he was unvaccinated at the time of his death.
“He thought if he contracted Covid-19 he would be OK. He thought he would have a mild illness. He didn’t want to put a vaccine in his body. His was pumped full of every drug in the hospital. They threw everything at him,” McCann said on Twitter.
“It should not have happened. He leaves a mum and a dad, a sister (me), and a 19-year-old daughter. My two children have lost their fun uncle. The uncle who would always play with them.”
* * *
August 2021
Samantha Willis
Samantha Willis was only 35 when she died of Covid-19, after spending 16 days in hospital. She was unable to hold her newborn baby daughter before she passed away.
Her husband, Josh Willis, said that he tried to arrange for her to hold her child before her condition had worsened. “She carried her for eight months but she never held her in her arms … the one thing I wanted was for her to see her baby and to hold her,” told the BBC.
Willis had not been vaccinated for Covid-19 when she died – her husband said he wanted to raise vaccination awareness after his wife’s death.
“I just want to put her story out there … I think if she could help one person, one family, she would be happy,” he said.
* * *
September 2021
Veronica Guy
Veronica Guy, who worked as a senior staff nurse at County hospital in Stafford for more than 20 years, died in September 2021 at Royal Stoke University Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent.
Sally Davies, a colleague, paid tribute to her in the Nursing Standard, saying: “She was an advocate for her patients, having had a renal transplant herself, and was able to share her lived experience with our patients.
“She was incredibly well known and extremely loved by her colleagues at County hospital.”
* * *
October 2021
Jorja Halliday
In early October 2021, it was reported that Jorja Halliday, 15, from Portsmouth, died of coronavirus on the day that she was due to receive her vaccine.
Her mother, Tracey Halliday, described her daughter as a “loving girl”. She said: “She was very active, she liked to go out and spend time with her friends and loved spending time with her brothers and sisters.
“Growing up, she turned into a beautiful young lady, always wanting to help others, always there for everybody. It’s heart-wrenching because your kids are always meant to outlive you and that’s the one thing I can’t get over.”
* * *
November 2021
Dr Irfan Halim
Irfan Halim was a doctor working in the intensive care unit at Swindon hospital, when he contracted coronavirus and died nine weeks after testing positive.
Siân Hughes-Pollitt, a family friend who met the doctor through a school fencing club, told the Evening Standard that Halim’s death had left “an enormous gap in many places and spaces”. She said he would frequently commute for more than two hours from his home in Barking to Swindon to treat patients.
“Irfan had a kind word for everybody,” she said. “It is so difficult to accept that a man who took every medical and clinical precaution against Covid died of the disease.”
She added: “When I picture him now, I see him standing beside his wife and family – a tower of strength. He is the husband, the dad, the best friend. I see him living through his wife and children.”
Hughes-Pollitt said she had spoken to Halim’s wife, Saila, hours after she watched her husband pass away in intensive care.
“She was broken … The first thing she told me was: ‘He went out to work and he never came home.’”
* * *
December 2021
Fila Lutu
Fila Lutu was just 37 and weeks away from receiving her first coronavirus vaccination when she died in December 2021.
Her brother, Christopher David Lutu, said at the time that it felt like she has been “snatched away from us”. “She was an amazing person in the family. It’s going to leave a hole,” he added.
Although the family are devastated by their loss, Lutu hopes that, even after her death, Fila will still be able to continue helping people.
He had fundraised for the local hospital in her memory, and hopes that her experience will encourage others to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
“I’d say, if you’re going to get it anyway, do it as soon as possible and don’t delay it, because we don’t know if it would have changed anything.”
* * *
January 2022
Fiona Denison
Fiona Denison, an academic at the University of Edinburgh, died after a long battle with Covid-19 on 9 January 2022.
Denison, who was a professor in the department of reproductive health at the university, was 51 when she died.
She was credited with contributing to award-winning research into reproductive health “which changed the health outcomes for mothers and babies in Scotland and beyond”.
Many paid tribute to her, including Alan Denison, her brother, who said on social media: “My sister Fiona Denison died yesterday following a long battle with Covid. A gifted, kind and compassionate obstetrician, researcher, teacher, academic, musician, friend, wife, mother, auntie and daughter. RIP.”
* * *
February 2022
Jon Wain
Jon Wain, 49, who worked as a police officer for Greater Manchester police for more than 17 years, died in February after contracting coronavirus.
Brett Grange, one of Wain’s colleagues, paid tribute to him in the Manchester Evening News, saying: “I last saw Jon late last year walking his dog, we had a brief socially distant chat on the street and I left him with the words ‘look after yourself Jon’ – as we both knew as an operational officer he faced enhanced risk.
“He faced that risk gallantly and we have all lost a true gentleman to this horrible virus.”
“Our thoughts are with Jon’s family, friends and close colleagues at this very sad time, and we will be supporting them as best we can.”
Wain leaves behind his partner and two children.
