Dick and Shirley Meek, married for more than 70 years, were holding hands while they died within minutes of the new coronavirus. Their favorite music played softly in the background.
“It was a beautiful passage,” says an obituary from the Fischer Funerary House. “Their love story lasted for centuries. They had a fairytale ending … Our hearts are broken, but we are at peace knowing that they are together forever.”
The Ohio couple, aged 89 to 87, died on January 16, about a week after they tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to Riverside Hospital in Columbus, according to the local news agency WBNS. They were supposed to get the vaccine three days later.
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“Mom went through first,” said Debbie Howell, a daughter of the couple. “They were holding hands. The nurse put her mother’s head on my dad’s shoulder and said to dad ‘Dick, it’s okay to let go now. Shirley is waiting for you’ and he died in minutes.”
Howell and his sisters Vicki Harper and Kelly Meek told WBNS that precautions were made easier to celebrate the couple’s 70th wedding anniversary on December 22, and then the pair developed colds. After their conditions quickly deteriorated in the hospital and no treatment options were left, the hospital staff agreed to allow the couple to share a room so they could stay with each other.
The obituary describes the couple as childhood boyfriends, who led a life of love and passion.
“Their life was one of adventure – from skydiving to zip lining, their wish list was incredible! Having a devoted love for the family, they always found time for each other. They met every day, no matter where they were. at 3:00 for a meeting and a toast to each other “, says the obituary.
“We have years of warm memories of holiday parties, backyard barbecues, vacations, birthdays, days on the beach, annual Meek Family Game Show nights, making silly family videos, water skiing and boating, love, laughter and together. Our life together with inspiration was a wild and crazy ride !! “
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The daughters shared the couple’s story to encourage others to be safe from the virus.
Dick, or Edwin Richard, Meek served in the United States Air Force as a sergeant and was a carpenter, while Shirley worked 25 years at Burger Chef and was a great cook and housewife, according to the obituary.
They left five children, 13 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews.