St. Johns County reported its first death from COVID-19 in March 2020, a 52-year-old man.
Now, a year later, the pandemic has led to more than 20,000 reported COVID-19 cases in the county, including non-residents, and has had widespread effects in the community beyond illness and death. People lost their jobs. Businesses shut down. Elderly residents became even more isolated. Families had to grapple with new dynamics.
But some people didn t make it home, and many St. Johns County residents are mourning the loss of their loved ones.
Raymond Zielinski, a fun-loving St. Augustine Red Train Tours driver
For tourists, Ray Zielinski was the face of St. Augustine.
Even as they died, Roger and Betty Colee were still inseparable in a way.
They were in different rooms but located near each other at Flagler Hospital, both struggling after being diagnosed with COVID-19. And when Roger died, Betty followed him in death just five days later.
They were both 83 years old, and the Colees loved being out on the town ― especially to make their rounds at their usual spots such as Chick-fil-A, where employees still remember how Betty liked her eggs, family said. And they loved being together.
“From the time they got out of bed for breakfast. … the only thing my mom did separately without my dad was go get her nails and hair done,” their daughter Cheryl Reese said.