Jean Lorraine Crocker died from COVID-19 on July 29, 2020 at the age of 70. She grew up in St. Louis and lived her last years in Hillsboro Missouri. She retired after working 20 years as a medical administrative assistant for the St. Louis University School of Medicine.
Jean loved animals, tracing her genealogy and family tree, and spending time with her grandchildren and extended family. She’s remembered as being a sweet caring woman and always having a nice thing to say. Jean Lorraine Crocker is missed deeply by her grandchildren, extended family, and friends.
Thomas R. “Rick” Boul died May 9, 2020 from COVID-19. He was 68 years old. Born in Belleville IL, Rick lived and worked in Belleville most of his life and will be missed by his extended family and friends.
Bruce R. Mausshardt died of COVID-19 on April 20, 2020 at the age of 68 years old. A keyboardist, piano player, and all around musician since he first learned to tickle the ivories at 5 years old, Bruce had played in several bands over the years. He also loved everything about St. Louis from with his favorites being World Wide Magazine, Forest Park, Elicia’s pizza, and Mom’s Deli. Bruce suffered from Alzheimer’s the past 11 years but could respond to his favorite songs, “air piano”, and mouth out the words.
Bruce Mausshardt is missed by his wife of 38 years, his daughter, his step-daughter, his adopted niece, extended family, and everyone who got to hear him play music or knew him as a friend.
Dr. Gaye Griffin-Snyder died of COVID-19 on June 6, 2020 at the age of 71. She was a professional counselor in Missouri, helping people in St. Louis County, Springfield and throughout the state. She also worked as an adjunct graduate professor at Missouri State. She helped out countless people through their struggles with mental health and emotional issues.
Gaye was a woman with endless love, beautiful smiles, and great faith. She loved corvettes, golfing, and vacations in Hawaii. Gaye’s spirit was indomitable and she always had a great sense of humor.
Her daughter Angela wrote “She died with strangers and couldn’t respond to me in any way when I got to say goodbye via video conference. It haunts me constantly.”
Dr. Gaye Griffin-Snyder is missed by her daughter, her son-in-law, her grandchildren, and all the students she taught and people whose lives she helped make better.
Patrick Wayne Vadnais of St. Charles MO died of COVID-19 complications on April 8, 2020 at the age of 70. He was musically inclined and wrote songs, played piano and guitar, sang, and passed his knowledge onto younger folks.
Patrick Vadnais is missed by his daughter, step-father, brothers and sisters, extended family and friends.
Frank Massey, passed of COVID-19 on April 17, 2020 five days after his 68th birthday. He had been married 20 years and had seven children. He served four years in the military as a Marine. After he retired from commercial truck driving, his passion for kids let him to become a school bus driver at the Belleville Township High School District 201.
Frank’s grieving wife gave an emotional interview with News Channel 5 on Your Side on April 18th:
“I want people to know that coronavirus is not a joke. It is not a hoax and it is definitely not fake news because I’m living the nightmare,” Cynthia said.
Frank Massey is missed by his children, grandchildren, extended family, all the kids he drove to and from school and events, and the Greater St. Mark COGIC family.
Danny Stephens of Bridgeton, MO lost his fight with COVID-19 on April 24, 2020. He was 70 years old. Danny was passionate about helping people, and got his Masters degree from UMSL He worked at the Missouri State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation for 35 years as he raised his family.
Danny is remembered as being gentle, living his faith by example, and being an amazing dad and grandpa. He is missed by his wife of 44 years, his two adopted daughters, his grandchildren, his neighbors, and everyone who knew him.
Carol Ann Todd was beating cancer when she was struck with COVID-19. She went to the emergency room feeling ill and never saw her family again. Carol died on April 10. She was 69 years old.
She had traveled the world singing choir and raised three children. She was a proud grandma and active in her church during retirement.
One of her daughters, Vanessa Trotman had just lost her mother-in-law to COVID-19 the day before on April 9th. Vanessa and her husband, faced with deaths of both of their mothers, had to grieve physically apart from family, friends, and church.
Carol Ann Todd is missed not only by her loving family but deeply by her church and community, and anyone who was ever fortunate enough to get to know her.
Brenda Susan Schaeg (nee St. Onge) died of COVID-19 on April 28 at the age of 69. She worked as a receptionist at Bethesda Meadow Skilled Nursing Facility in Ellisville, MO. She was known for making extra time to visit with the residents, considered them her friends, and often socialized with them when she was not on the clock. Her coworkers looked forward to coming to work on the shifts that Brenda was scheduled.
Brenda is missed by her children, grandchildren, her work family at Betheseda Meadow, and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Essie Belinda Johnson died of COVID-19 on April 11, just two days after testing positive. She was 69 years old. She was known for baking the best sweet potato pies and being am amazing mother who had worked her way up at the United States Post Office from sorting mail to being a shop steward.
Essie Belinda Johnson died alone in a hospital, and her family mourned alone. Essie’s daughter Tawanda also caught COVID-19, going into the hospital 5 days after her funeral. Nobody could hug her or be there physically with her as she grieved her mother alone.
Michael Derryberry passed away April 17 of COVID-19 at the age of 68. He loved camping, shooting, fishing, and everything to do with the outdoors. He actively volunteered with the Bonhomme Lions Club in Ballwin, MO and was a great friend and mentor.
Michael is missed deeply by his wife, children, grandchildren, extended family, and his many friends and acquaintances.
Carol Strawbridge was admitted to the hospital on May 3, and died of COVID-19 on May 21 with her family watching 15 minutes away on Facetime as a nurse held her hand. She was 73 years old. Carol was a retired teacher and school principal, an active board member at the League of Women Voters, and taking all the precautions that she could to avoid catching COVID-19.
The much loved matriarch of her extensive family, Carol Strawbridge left an indelible mark on her community she helped, the kids she taught, and everyone who was fortunate to know her in any way.
Crying in my dad’s arms, we watched his sister, my second mother, take her last breath on FaceTime today. My healthy aunt suddenly gone. 15 min away, alone in a hospital, a nurse held her hand in our place. Experience that kind of hurt and tell me we’re back to normal.
— Michael Strawbridge (@MjStrawbridge) May 21, 2020
Deborah Nagler grew up in St. Louis and Kansas City and attended Washington University for her undergraduate studies. She died of COVID-19 on April 3 at the age of 66 in Teaneck New Jersey. Deborah was a great mind and accomplished in STEM education and active lifelong in Jewish education.
Dr. Nagler’s degrees and numerous, impactful, professional accomplishments are well written about on her website and in the articles linked to in the sources below.
Deborah is missed by her children, grand children, extended family and her husband. Her students, colleagues and friends miss her deeply. As the St. Louis Jewish Light concluded: “Deborah’s leadership and great love for her family will continue to reach people who may never even know her name, but will live, love, and succeed because of her.”
Patricia Ann Hennessey passed of COVID-19 on April 21, 2020. She was 67 years old.
She is loved and missed by her sisters and large extended family and friends.
Her family would like memorial donations to be made in her name to either the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, or the American Cancer Society.
Cynthia Sue Jenkins died on April 26 of COVID-19 with her daughter at her side. She’d previously resided in an assisted care facility and was much loved by the staff and friends that she made there.
Cynthia was known for being kind, resilient, generous, and a great friend who always had time to listen. Her life was not easy, but she always bounced back and had an unbreakable spirit.
Cynthia is missed greatly by her daughter, extended family, and the many friends that she made during her 74 years of life.
Sandy Kearny started having flu-like symptoms on March 24th, and in less than two weeks she passed of COVID-19 at the age of 70. She was placed on a ventilator within two days of diagnosis, and her daughter was able to put on a full body protective suit to say goodbye in person.
Sandy worked as a guidance counselor at Eureka High School since 1993 and as an educator since the 80s. The children she worked with, and her coworkers, could not comfort eachother in person due to the school being closed and restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
She leaves behind her husband, her brother, her twin sister, adult children, and numerous grandchildren.
She’s is missed terribly by her family, the children whose lives she touched, and her community.
Please contact me if you’d like to add anything or if anything is accidentally wrong here.
Sources and links to more about Sandy Kearney’s life are:
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