Jerry Mooneyham died at Missouri Baptist Hospital on January 9, 2021 from complications from COVID-19 at the age of 86. He married his highschool sweetheart and served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War on board the USS Mount McKinley.
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Shirley A. McCalley died from complications of COVID-19 at Delmar Gardens of O’Fallon at the age of 86 on January 15, 2021.
Sources:
Shirley A. McCalley obituary at Elias, Kallal & Schaaf Funeral Home
Kathleen “Kitty” M. Becker (nee Hamlin), of Ballwin, MO, died after a courageous battle with cancer and COVID-19 on January 28, 2021 at the age of 84.
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Audrey May Sullivan of Florissant MO died of COVID-19 on January 15, 2021 at the age of 96.
Audrey was born on February 29, 1924 making her a leap year baby, which she was very proud of. She was past president of the Florissant Lady Elks, a lifelong Cardinals fan, and worked and taught candy-making classes at Fischer’s Cake & Candy for over 40 years.
Audrey Sullivan is missed deeply by her two sons, grandchildren, extended family and friends. She was buried at Jefferson Barracks next to her late husband of 61 years.
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Helen Therese Pagel of Ellisville, MO died from complications of COVID-19 and congestive heart disease on December 15, 2020 at the age of 93 at Missouri Baptist Hospital.
Helen was raised in Milwaukee and met her late husband while working as a night clerk at the rail road. They started and ran Brown Mill Tavern and Cafe on the upper Michigan peninsula for 21 years while they raised their six children. Helen was incredibly proud that all her kids worked at the family business and went on to graduate college. Her and Roy enjoyed 52 years of marriage until his death in 2006. She was known for her wide range of artistic talents, from sketching graphics for her kids’ science projects to sewing costumes and tailoring clothing. For the past two years, Helen lived in an assisted care facility being visited as often as possible by her large family and watching reruns of her favorite TV shows (The Lawrence Welk Show and Gunsmoke). A devout Catholic, she attended Mass every Sunday as long as she was physically able to.
Helen Therese Pagel is missed deeply by her six surviving children, grand children, large extended family and all her friends.
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Thomas “Tom” Lovis died from respiratory complications of COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s related health issues on December 5, 2020. He was in his 90s and living and being cared for at the Sheridan at Laumeier Park the last few years of his life.
Tom grew up in Indianapolis and went to Indiana School for the Deaf. He had a long career in printing, finally ending up at the St. Louis Post Dispatch where he worked from 1969 until his retirement in 1982. Tom and his late wife Joan Mae Lewis raised two daughters and a son together, which they brought up in the Baptist faith. After retiring Tom switched from working as a part time pastor at Bethany Baptist Church of the Deaf to being the full time pastor until the church closed in 2011.
Tom Lovis is missed deeply by his two surviving daughters, a brother and sister, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family and friends.
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Daniel Edward Schroeder of Ballwin MO died of COVID-19 on December 10, 2020 at the age of 61.
Dan found true joy and happiness in being the most amazing father to his three girls and husband to his wife of 37 years. He worked tirelessly to provide for them, and was looking forward to retiring from Davis Tool and Die in 2021 to spend even more time with his beloved family (including his first newborn grandson). Dan enjoyed fishing, watching ball games, playing almost any game, bowling, backyard gardening, and the outdoors in general. He was always there to lend a hand, listen, and quietly make things better behind the scenes in his quiet solid way. He never missed even the smallest milestone or event with his daughters, no matter how insignificant. As his obituary put it, “Dan Schroeder was not a man of many words, but he was a man full of love.”
Dan Schroeder is missed deeply by his wife, three daughters, father, newborn grandson, extended family and circle of friends who were fortunate to know him.
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Gloria Fay Prince died from COVID-19 related pneumonia on November 29, 2020 at the age of 90. The wonderful staff at The Glen at Aberdeen Heights (in Kirkwood MO) where she lived the last several years were at her side when she passed, so she did not die alone.
Fay was a graduate of Normandy High School where she played field hockey and participated in the modern dance troupe. She married her late husband Jack in 1949 and supported his advertising career as it took them to different cities around the country and they raised their four children. Fay was described as being the “consummate homemaker”: a Girl Scout Leader. church volunteer, with hobbies that included needlepoint, sewing, quilting and cooking.
Gloria Fay Prince is missed deeply by her three surviving children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, friends, and the staff who took such good care of her at the assisted living facility.
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Helen S. Clark died November 26 from complications of COVID-19 and congestive heart failure at the age of 82.
She graduated from St. Louis City Hospital’s School of Nursing in 1959 and went on to have a long career in nursing, staying involved in the alumni association after retiring. Helen raised her two daughters with her late husband and loved being a grandma. She supported various nonprofits, read voraciously, and played a good game of checkers. Before COVID-19 hit, she was a daily regular at Miss Sheri’s Cafeteria in South County.
Helen Sydow Clark is missed deeply by her two daughters, step sons, grandkids, extended family, and all those who were fortunate to know her.
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Delores E. Weekly died of COVID-19 on November 30, 2020 at the age of 91. She lived in Overland MO for most of her life, and was an active member of the Overland Historical Society.
Delores was a skilled quilter and knitter. After retiring from Pet Foods, she sewed gifts for her family and friends, and donated her handcrafts to charities. She loved doing many things, but lunch with friends was her favorite activity of all. Delores was known for her independent, cheerful spirit.
Delores Weekly is missed by her cousins, surrogate family, and her many friends.
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R. Richard Straub died of COVID-19 after a brief battle with the virus on November 24, 2020 at the age of 88.
Dick grew up in Webster Groves, graduated with honors from Princeton University, and served as 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. After his time in the military, he moved back to St. Louis and completed his J.D. at Washington University with the Order of the Coif. Dick raised his two girls with his beloved wife while he practiced corporate law at Lewis Rice. At the age of 48 he had a major stroke that paralyzed the left side of his body but fortunately left his sharp mind fully intact. In this early retirement Dick threw himself into volunteering and supporting worthy causes (including providing free legal counsel via SCORE, tutoring children, and helping other stroke victims), living life to the fullest (and still golfing, with the use of only one arm). In 2014 he moved from his home of 50 years to The Gatesworth extended care facility.
R. Richard Straub is missed deeply by his wife of 65 years, his two adult daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, extended family, friends at The Gatesworth, and all who knew him.
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Mary Smith, a special education teacher, died from complications of COVID-19 on December 8, 2020 at the age of 49. She taught for 21 years with the Special School District of St. Louis County, most recently teaching first graders at Fairview Elementary in Jennings.
According to KSDK’s reporting, “Smith lived with her mother and was her primary caregiver. The week of Thanksgiving, Smith’s mother contracted COVID-19 and died a short time later…”. The seven students that Mary taught were individually notified, and staff at Fairview held a “therapy session” after the news broke. Counselors are available for students and staff to help them deal with this loss.
Jennings School District went virtual on November 18th, and no students or staff were exposed to Smith after she contracted the novel coronavirus
Mary Smith was much loved by all those who knew her, and special education was her true calling in life. She is deeply missed by all her former students, children of all ages who she helped out in life, her coworkers, and her family.
An obituary had not been published as of this writing; this post will be edited and added to as more is learned. Originally published December 9 around 8:30pm.
Sadly, Mary Smith is not the first education professional in St. Louis to die of COVID-19 – please see this page memorializing those that I know about.
Sources:
https://twitter.com/kdeeswenson/status/1336474397759197184/photo/1
Rose Beatrice “Bea” Gillooly of Ferguson MO died of Covid-19 on November 18, 2020 at the age of 98. She suffered from dementia the past few years, but she still knew and loved her family.
Bea was a woman ahead of her time, encouraged by her husband Dick (who was accomplished in the field of space exploration at McDonnell Douglas). Bea learned about the stock market and investing in a progressive women’s group after Dick opened a checking account in her name (at a time when women could not open accounts on their own). She was paid a salary to be a homemaker because her late husband also recognized that caregiving and housekeeping is a valuable service too often (still) uncompensated and unacknowledged.
Her obituary briefly attempts to summarize Bea’s fascinating life: “Bea’s two passions in life were traveling and reading. Beginning in 1968, and as often as she could, she traveled the world. She visited multiple countries on six continents, taking photos whenever possible. Reminiscing of those trips when viewing photos brought her great joy over the years. In her early St. Louis years, Bea joined a women’s book group and continued to meet monthly to discuss books, politics, and current events for over 50 years. In addition to raising 10 children, Bea was an active volunteer. She started a rental book system at Sts. John and James allowing families to pay a small annual fee to borrow books for the school year and not have to purchase new sets for their children each year. She was involved in The Experiment in International Living, allowing children and students from other countries to temporarily live with host families in the St. Louis area. She went on to become a board member of that group as well as a docent for the First Street Forum, a contemporary art gallery. She was also involved as a volunteer for the ScholarShop for many years.”
Even later in life, Bea was engaged and active volunteering and learning new things. She had an email address early on, and used the internet for research. Bea kept abreast of politics, voting in the 2016 election. She was a proud progressive Democrat and fan of Rachel Maddow.
Her family’s statement reads: “Many of her children would have been with her in the end if she hadn’t been isolated in a Covid 19 ward for her last two weeks. We hold the Trump administration directly responsible for robbing us of the opportunity of saying goodbye to our mother.”
Bea Gillooly is missed deeply by her nine surviving children, numerous grand and great grandchildren, her wide circle of friends and acquaintances, and the many people who she inspired and helped lift up.
Sources:
Rose Beatrice “Bea” Gillooly obituary at St. Louis Cremation
Thomas Eise of St. Ann, MO died of COVID-19 on November 12, 2020 at the age of 67. He went in for a knee replacement, developed cellulitis, and then coronavirus. He supported the shutdowns to flatten the curve, socially distanced, wore a mask… and despite taking every precaution, he still caught COVID-19.
Tom was a hard working man who was fiercely loyal to his family and friends. He was empathetic, a listening ear when you needed one, and raised his step daughters as his own.
in April, 2020 Tom wrote the following poem which one of his daughters shared with the message:
“We lost my dad to COVID this last week. He was careful, he supported the lockdowns and mandates, but too many around him didn’t. He went in for a knee replacement and developed cellulitis. They sent him home on a Wednesday (I picked him up) and he barely made it inside. We assumed that it was pain and such. 36 hours later he was taken back to the ER by ambulance. He was hallucinating and a mess. His oxygen was in the 60s. They then decided to test for Covid. Next day ventilator, next day chemical paralysis- and he was not able to recover. He was 67He (Tom Eise) wrote this poem back in April.””
Facebook
I don't want to get ill or die Cant you just please comply I'm a person and have a name. To you this is an inconvenience, a game I'm an artist, a singer. I'm your postman or pick up your trash. I'm a doctor, intern or nurse. I'm young and quiet. I'm old and brash I'm your neighbor, the grandmother up the street. I'm the towtruck driver, I pour concrete You Know me I don't want to get ill or die Can't you just please comply
Thomas Eise is missed deeply by his partner in life, Mary Jo Purcell, a son and daughter, two step-daughters, grandchildren, six siblings, and a host of friends.
Sources:
Thomas Eise obituary at Ortmann Funeral Home
Alice “Irene” Cordes of Eureka MO died from complications of COVID-19 on November 8, 2020 at the age of 94. Two of her daughters were with her in the hospital at the time she passed, and she got to see her only living son and talk with her close family in the days before she died.
Irene worked as a nurse for almost 60 years, starting off in 1948 preparing to serve in the Nurse Cadet Corps, but WWII ended before she graduated. When she retired, Irene volunteered for Hospice and continued helping others, even after she quit driving at age 90. Her heart and love was most reserved for her five children, who she raised alone after divorcing from a 15 year marriage (in 1964).
Irene is remembered as being a “sunshine lady”; cheerful, resilient, and resourceful. She tried to live Christian morals, and going to church and reading the Bible were very important to her. She also enjoyed needlepoint, solving crossword puzzles, playing organ (which she taught herself), loved doing jigsaw puzzles, and was hard to beat at Scrabble.
Irene Cordes is deeply missed by her surviving children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, extended family, and the many friends she made and countless lives she helped make a little better during her long career as a nurse and very long lifetime of helping others.
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Ronald Arlen Whitley died of COVID-19 on May 6, 2020. He was 68 years old and had no underlying conditions. When he was hospitalized his wife and adult children kept thinking that he would turn the corner and recover, but he did not.
Ron was a soft-spoken, gentle, kind man who was devoted to his family and loved animals. He worked an accountant with his own firm for over 30 years, and would bring along his dog, cat, and Amazon parrot to the office every day (they are waiting for him in heaven). Ron liked to do just about anything as long as it was with his beloved family.
Ron Arlen Whitley is missed by his heartbroken wife, two adult children, two grandkids, extended family, his accounting clients, and everyone who knew him.
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Elaine Anita Weir (nee Eckelkamp) of Des Peres (St. Louis County) passed of COVID-19 on July 20, 2020. She was 78 years old and also had Alzheimers, but her gentle personality still showed through until the very end.
Elaine was appreciated by her friends and family for her pot roast and skills at baking from scratch. She helped the St. Louis community through her volunteer work with the St. Patrick’s Center and Birthright charities.
Elaine Anita Weir is missed by her seven grandchildren, surviving brothers and a sister… and of course, all her friends and the many people whose lives she touched.
Sources:
Obituary for Elaine Anita Weir (Eckelkamp) – at Bopp Chapel
Polly Reichrath passed away of COVID-19 on April 28, 2020 at the age of 72. She had no family except a cousin, but her good friend Cecelia was able to put on personal protective equipment and stay in the hospital with her that last day and night to comfort her.
Cecelia wrote: “She was my dearest friend for 20+ years. We had many laughs and tears together. She helped me through cancer. I helped her leave the planet on her last night here. I miss her dearly.”
Polly is missed by her close circle of friends and all those whose days she brightened with her warm smile.
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Dwontreze Lovett died of COVID-19 in mid-August 2020 at the age of 29. He worked as a barber and raised bull dogs as Co-Op Bully Kennels.
He had a high fever which he went to the emergency room for, and never left the hospital. Nine days later getting admitted, Dwontreze passed away of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus.
His mom tells 5 On Your Side somehow Dwontreze knew that he wasn’t going to survive his battle with COVID-19 and days before he passed, the Hazelwood dad called his little girl and other relatives.
“I didn’t know it, but he had called his daughter and told her to just look for me in the sky. My granddaughter, she’s like telling me my Poppa’s in the sky. My Daddy’s in the sky. He told me to be good,” said Claudette Lovett-Carson with tears streaming down her face.
5 on Your Side – KSDK
Dwontreze is deeply missed by the love of his life, Tia who he’d just married in February, his mother, his 5 year old daughter, extended family, and friends. His passing leaves a hole in the St. Louis community and in potential friends he never made because his life was cut short.
Update on October 12, 2020 from Dwontreze’s mother:
Dwontreze T. Lovett, was my ONE AND ONLY SON. He was only 29 years old, married only 3 months, with a 5 year old daughter. He was a barber in N. County for 8 years..HE MENTORED YOUNG MEN, that crossed his path. He enjoyed being with his family. He had to divide holiday time with his 3 SIDES OF HIS FAMILY. His wife side, his mother side and his father side, AND ALL SIDES ARE LARGE. I’m THANKFUL GOD LOANED ME SUCH A WONDERFUL SON FOR 29 YEARS. He was married on Feb 9, 2020…YOU COULD FEEL THE LOVE IN THE ROOM..Its was truly a family affair. My daughter in aunt, married them. Her other aunt, was the wedding coordinator. Her other aunt and cousin were the photographer and videographer. His and Her aunts cooked and catered the food. His 1st cousin was the best man. He cousin was the DJ, FAMILY, FAMILY AND FAMILY…ITS WAS A FAMILY AFFAIR…
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Reginald Gladney died July 30, 2020 of COVID-19. He was 56 years old. Reginald served in the United States Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force for 21 years and retired a decorated veteran. After military retirement, he went onto a second career, working for in civil process as a St. Louis County Sheriff’s Deputy for 11 years and security for 17+ years with the St. Louis Blues Association.
More than his impressive career, Reginald was a mentor, friend, and father. He loved life, his family, and truly saw the beauty in other people. He took his joy from helping make life a little better for those blessed to know or even casually encounter him.
As his obituary so eloquently put it: “If you’ve ever been to a STL Blues game there is a very good chance you met our father Reggie. To our father, meeting people and being a joy bringer was something to look forward to. People are a valuable treasure and he treasured his Tribe. Reggie, modeled himself to his favorite superheros Superman and Batman. He believed in goodness. He believed that every person is superhuman and had the ability to do good or harm. He believed in conscious choices, deliberate intentions, and grace. Our father believed in people and chose to live a life of service. If you haven’t guessed, our fathers love language was Acts of Service and he spoke it loudly. He practiced goodness, consciously, daily. His goodness was infectious. His smile was bigger than his face could contain. He had an expansive chest with massive pythons for arms. He could give a hug that enveloped your entire being. His deep belly laughter was the soundtrack to many special moments, as were his frequent threats of bodily harm, playful teasing, and random dancing. To our father you were his brother, sister, daughter, son, child, or sunshine. The greeting was a reminder, you were his family…
…He was humble, gentle, and kind. Our father was a cultivator of joy. Everyone blessed with an encounter with Reggie, all became happier, healthier, better versions of ourselves because of his joy.”
If the point of life is to touch as many lives as possible, making them better, and bringing joy to your corner of the world, Reginald Gladney accomplished this.
Reginald Gladney is missed deeply by his three children, close-knit family, and the entire St. Louis region where he inspired and moved too many people to count.
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Afi Williams died of COVID-19 on August 6, 2020 at the age of 47. He grew up in Jennings, attended University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL), and was a devoted father to his three children. Afi had a true zest for life, that was enthusiastically communicated to all who knew him.
Afi was an “essential worker” at Handyman True Value hardware store on Washington St. in Florissant (according to Facebook comments) and he thought he caught COVID-19 from a coworker who had recently gone to a large party. The coworker came to work sick and was sent home, but not before he gave it to Afi (and maybe others).
Afi Williams is missed deeply by his three young children, his family, and his wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Nobody ever had anything bad to say about him, and his future was bright and brightened others.
As the GoFundMe (to pay for funeral expenses and to help out his kids) states:
To the world, Afi is another statistic that gets lumped into the life loss and cloud of chaos that have become the norm of this unthinkable pandemic. But let us take this time to reflect and understand that there are faces and families…love and life…heartbreak and pain associated with each number, dot and line on those daily totals and data charts we’ve seen flashing across our TV and computer screens.
Afi Williams Memorial Fund
There is no easy way to memorialize someone who has touched so many lives, who had such a bright future, who leaves behind so many who deeply cared for him, and whose life was cut short. I encourage everyone reading this to donate to his memorial fund, share John Hamilton’s post, and take precautions to keep you and your loved ones as safe and healthy as possible… and to take action so that more lives are not lost in vain to COVID-19, even if that’s simply wearing a mask and avoiding parties until this passes.
Sources (will be updated if any new ones are found):
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