L to r.: Tennant Glenn Davitian, Ed Hanley, Angie Routly, Dr. Frank Fiermonte The United States passed a morbid milestone on Monday: half a million lives lost to the coronavirus. Many of those souls died surrounded by strangers health care workers who were trying their best to provide some comfort and connection. Loved ones left behind have also had to forego the ritual of saying goodbye in more formal ways. For the past year, there have been almost no graveside gatherings. Nearly every funeral and memorial service has been postponed until COVID-19 restrictions lift. When it comes to grieving the dead, only obituaries have turned out to be pandemic-proof; these notices attempt to capture and commemorate the enormity of a life. In the past decade,
Leobardo Perez-Rivas Leobardo Leo Perez-Rivas passed away on February 8, 2021, at age 78. He was born near the Andes in a little village called Pueblo Nuevo in the state of Merida, Venezuela, on September 12, 1942. His life was cut short while living in Seville, Spain, when he became ill from COVID-19. Leo was the third of 10 children. He was raised in Venezuela and attended Liceo Libertador school before completing a degree in economics at the University of the Andes in 1965. He was then awarded a grant to travel and study in England. He completed a master’s degree in economics at the University of Exeter and a second master’s degree at the University of Cambridge.