AILSA CHANG, HOST:
For more than a year, we have shared stories about people who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. Today, the story of an Ohio couple who were childhood sweethearts.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
They were Dick and Shirley Meek. Last December, the Meeks celebrated 70 years of marriage. Their grandson, Jesse Fischer, says the pandemic forced them to revise their plans for that milestone.
JESSE FISCHER: There was planned to be a big 70th anniversary celebration and, a year prior, had started planning that. And then, of course, like the rest of the world, you know, everything had to change.
: :
Dick and Shirley Meek celebrated their 70 years of marriage in December of 2020. The following month, both died of COVID-19 within minutes of each other.
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Transcript:
AILSA CHANG, HOST: For more than a year, we have shared stories about people who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. Today, the story of an Ohio couple who were childhood sweethearts.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: They were Dick and Shirley Meek. Last December, the Meeks celebrated 70 years of marriage. Their grandson, Jesse Fischer, says the pandemic forced them to revise their plans for that milestone.
Couple Wed 70 Years Died Together, From COVID-19 npr.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from npr.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
in alabama, alfonzia aj jackson was just 35 years old. a father to alivia and aria. proudly doing their hair, playing nail salon when they wanted to. dance parties with his girls. his wife ashley on how she explained this to her daughters. you know how granny s an angel? she s like, yeah. i said, well, daddy went to go to be one, too. that s the crying you don t want, as a parent, to hear. there have been so many husbands and wives dying together. dick and shirley meek from ohio had just celebrated 70 years of marriage. every day without fail, their 3:00 p.m. date together. they died in each other s arms, holding hands. in phoenix, sally and manny montano. they met as teenagers. manny on leave from vietnam. they died just seconds apart. that love that they had for each other, that s all i knew. their family later finding letters, birthday cards, valentines they d written to each other over the years. family is so important.