Couple married for 71 years die five days apart after contracting coronavirus

Pat and Ron Wood had their hospital beds moved next to each other so they could hold hands

(SWNS)

An elderly couple who were married for over seven decades have passed away within days of one another after contracting Covid-19.

Pat Wood, 91, and Ron Wood, 94, were married at Broadwater Parish Church on 23 April 1949.

The couple first met outside a post office shortly after a 22-year-old Mr Wood had come out of the Royal Navy. Mrs Wood was 19 at the time.

After contracting the coronavirus, Mr Wood was taken to Worthing Hospital, with his wife following shortly afterwards.

The couple were initially placed in separate male and female Covid wards. However, staff at the hospital allowed for their beds to be moved next to each other in their final days.

Their only child, daughter Nikki Evans, said the hospital were “brilliant” in taking care of her parents.

“They put mum and dad in a four-bed bay, just the two of them, so they could hold hands for the last four days before mum passed away in her sleep,” Ms Evans said.

“After mum passed away on May 18, they cared for dad compassionately in his last few days until he passed away on May 23.”

Ms Evans explained that after Mr Wood first caught the coronavirus, he came home and then the rest of the family contracted the virus as well.

Their daughter added that Mrs Wood “was very keen” to be placed in the same ward as her husband.

(Nikki Evans / SWNS.COM (Nikki Evans / SWNS.COM)

“They died together, in a short space of time, after being married for 71 years,” she said.

“So although it’s not nice, they would not have wanted to be on their own.”

Maria Reina, a staff nurse at Worthing Hospital who cared for Mr Wood, said it was “very special” to see him and his wife holding hands in the hospital.

“It made me feel very proud to be a nurse,” Ms Reina said.

(Nikki Evans / SWNS.COM (Nikki Evans / SWNS.COM)

The funeral services for both Mr and Mrs Wood were held on Monday 8 June at a crematorium in their home town.

Ms Evans expressed her gratitude to the staff at Worthing Hospital, stating: “In these challenging times, when visiting is restricted to a minimum, it was never too much trouble to let me speak to them on the iPad.”

After the Second World War, Mr Wood became the top goalscorer at Worthing Football Club.

However, in 1953 he was told he would never be able to play football again after being diagnosed with endocarditis, an infection of the heart.

Mr and Mrs Wood ran a general store, called Ron Wood Stores, for five years, welcoming their daughter in 1959.

Mrs Wood worked at Marks & Spencer in Worthing town centre for 28 years and then at Goring Hall Hospital for 11 years, where she met Princess Margaret in 1994.

Mr and Mrs Wood leave two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.