We continue our look at some of the people we've lost to COVID-19, with the loved ones they've left behind.
On Monday night, we heard about Keith Jacobs of Stoughton, who died at age 64 of the coronavirus in April. He was awaiting a kidney transplant after nearly five years on the donor list.
Jacobs worked as a photographer for most of his life. He was also a well-known and beloved camp counselor at overnight camps in the state.
His family describes him as a man who was kind and generous. His daughter, Jackie Winer, said he loved going on long drives listening to folk and soul music. His son, Seth Jacobs, said he was a loving grandfather who cared more about a person's character than their social status.
Marcy, Jacobs' wife, was an essential worker at a long-term care facility in Massachusetts and was also infected with the coronavirus. She has recovered, but still experiences lingering physical symptoms.
She said that while her husband was one of more than 220,000 people who have died of COVID-19 in the country, that doesn't reflect the type of man he was and the life he lived.
"I think the most important thing that I want people to know is that my husband's not a number, he was not a pre-existing condition," said Marcy Jacobs. "He was ready for life-saving surgery. Coronavirus killed him. Sure, his body was not strong enough to take the attack of it, but he would be alive today if I knew in February to wear a mask."
Then, through loss came friendship. Jackie Winer and Nicole Harris met on Facebook after both losing their fathers to the coronavirus. They are now working together with local officials to create a memorial to the victims of the virus here in Massachusetts.
Segments:
Jacobs and Winer family - 1:47
Jackie Winer and Nicole Harris - 23:56
