The Bruno family hopes their story serves as a tale of caution for those who want to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones.
Rosa said her father was in great shape mentally and physically until he contracted COVID right before Thanksgiving and died Christmas Eve. He would have turned 88 on Monday.
"We are mostly in a place of gratitude that we got him for that long," she said.
Now, her family is looking back on her father's eventful life. She said he was a poor Italian immigrant who taught himself English, eventually becoming a college professor and author. He liked activities that kept his mind and body active.