COVID-19 deaths: These are some of the Oklahomans we've lost
Leanna Crutcher fought for family, change after son Terence's slaying
Pastor's wife. Mother. Music teacher. For much of her life, Leanna Crutcher was best known for those roles, which she pursued with quiet dedication.
But she had another side, as well. And when the situation demanded, it would show itself.
“Mom was a fighter. She’s where I got my fight from,” said Tiffany Crutcher, adding that everything changed for her mother after the loss of her son, Terence, in 2016.
Having witnessed her mother’s unlikely transformation into activist after her son was killed by police, Tiffany was not surprised to see that same fighting spirit come out again recently when facing COVID-19. But in the end, the virus proved too tough.
Leanna Crutcher, 67, died Jan. 14 of complications from COVID-19. She left behind her husband of 51 years, the Rev. Joey Crutcher, a daughter and son, and 10 grandchildren, including three of her late son’s children whom she was raising.
Debbie Rusher, EMSA paramedic
Debbie Rusher joined EMSA in 1999. Around Thanksgiving, her COVID-19 struggle became grave. Numerous EMSA colleagues and other workers with the Tulsa Police and Fire departments blared their lights outside Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa to show their support for Rusher, who died Dec. 28 at 56.
Dr. Greg Gray, a doctor at Saint Francis Hospital South, wrote how Rusher was “out in our community working to help all of us” stay safe from COVID-19. How Rusher contracted the virus likely will remain unknown, he said, but he called her an “awesome, loving, caring paramedic” whose loss is “hitting our EMSA and EMS community HARD.”
Dr. Yee Se Ong
A longtime Muskogee physician who was the first cardiologist to set up a practice in the community, Dr. Yee Se Ong died Dec. 21 at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa of complications from COVID-19.
For the past several months of the pandemic, Ong spent virtually every waking hour in the ICU at Saint Francis Hospital in Muskogee.
Ong was a native of Cabanatuan in the Philippines. He came to Muskogee in July 1979 and dedicated his life to caring for residents from the rural areas and small communities nearby.
Pam Rask, Tulsa Health Department
Pam Rask, 61, was serving as Tulsa Health Department's division chief of adolescent and child health when she died Dec. 26. A public Facebook post from relatives indicated Rask had been hospitalized and placed on a ventilator after testing positive for COVID-19.
Jimmy's Egg pioneer Loc Van Le
Loc Van Le, who purchased a single breakfast cafe in 1980 and turned it into a multi-state franchise, died of complications from the coronavirus Dec. 10, 2020. He was 75.
As it mourns the passing of its patriarch, the Le (pronounced Lee) family is keeping vigil for its matriarch Kim, who remains hospitalized with the virus.
Oklahoma education advocate Melvin Todd
Melvin R. Todd, Ph.D, died Dec. 2 after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 87.
Todd was one of Oklahoma’s most consequential educators, leaving a trailblazing legacy of leadership through racial integration.
Former longtime Oklahoma City pastor Nick Harris
The Rev. Nick Harris, former longtime minister of First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City, died on Nov. 23. He was 81.
His life story intersected with the broader story of the tragedy of April 19, 1995, and the triumph of the "Oklahoma Standard" that prevailed in its aftermath.
Jerad Lindsey, Tulsa FOP chairman
Jerad Lindsey, 40, chairman of the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police, died in October after suffering complications of COVID-19, the agency reported.
He had started his career with Tulsa Police Department in 2005 and worked as patrol officer. He recently was serving also as Oklahoma Fraternal Order of Police vice president.
Lindsey is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and two sons.
Oklahoma City preservation leader Bill Gumerson
Bill Gumerson, 76, who co-founded Friends of the Mansion, a group that has helped support upkeep of the Governor’s Mansion, died on Thanksgiving from COVID-19.
As president of Preservation Oklahoma he led a successful capital campaign to renovate the Overholser Mansion.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Capt. Jeff Sewell
Capt. Jeff Sewell, 58, had been hospitalized since Sept. 5 due to COVID-19, and he died at Texoma Medical Center in Denison, Texas, on Sept. 26, according to a social media post.
“It is with deepest regret that the Oklahoma Highway Patrol announces the passing of one of our active duty members,” the agency wrote the post.
Tulsa Public Schools electrician Michael Angelo
Michael Angelo, an electrician who worked in the maintenance and plant operations department and joined Tulsa Public Schools in 2007, died in October and is the district’s first COVID-related death.
Angelo’s wife, Violet Angelo, also became ill from COVID-19 but has recovered. Violet Angelo is a custodian at TPS and joined the district in 2005.
Former Jenks East Elementary teacher Sandy Majors
From Michael Overall: "My Aunt Sandy — you might remember her as Sandra Majors, Ph.D., who taught for many years at Jenks East Elementary — tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-August."
She died Aug. 28.
QT employee Israel Sauz
Israel Sauz, a 22-year-old Broken Arrow resident, died in April. He left behind a wife of less than one year and their first child, a son born in March, among other family, friends, co-workers and even regular customers at the QuikTrip store where he worked east of downtown Tulsa.
Sauz, known as “Izzy” to some, was a night assistant manager at the QuikTrip at 1022 S. Utica Ave., and his death raised panic and outrage among fellow employees and some customers.
State's first COVID-19 death
A Tulsa County man became the state’s first resident to die from COVID-19 in mid-March, one day after he tested positive for the disease.
Tulsa County health officials said that it also was the first case of community spread in the county. The man was identified by friends and peers as Merle Dry.
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Married for 30 years, they died together from COVID-19 complications sharing one final embrace — holding each other's hands and the hands of their children.
State Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye said teachers could receive COVID-19 vaccinations in January.
COVID-19: Record number in ICU beds as 16 more deaths reported across Oklahoma
The measure, which has no enforcement mechanism, is supported by Mayor G.T. Bynum.
Grand jurors issued the indictment Thursday charging David Ostrowe with a felony — attempted bribery of an official.
“I’ve been there, and I have worked codes and been with people who didn’t make it many times, but with your own mother it’s so much different,” Angie Gaston said. “It was something that will be in my mind forever."
Oklahoma is expected to receive fewer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine next week than originally anticipated.
Although the COVID-19 death toll in 2020 has far surpassed that of tornadoes, floods or other tragedies in a given year, it has done so out of sight. The event's participants wanted to remind the public that the victims were just more than numbers.
Oklahoma will receive approximately 14,000 fewer Pfizer doses next week. The Oklahoma State Department of Health previously estimated the next Pfizer shipment of 38,000 doses would arrive on Dec. 23.
Serving as the messenger of hope is a power each of us has. We can listen. We can speak words of love and encouragement. We can be a light in the darkness.
Oklahoma is currently racking up an average of 80.5 new daily Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people. The number of new daily cases is 222% higher than the “tipping point” threshold.
Pam Rask worked as THD's Division Chief of Adolescent and Child Health.
A longtime Muskogee physician who was the first cardiologist to set up a practice in the community, Dr. Yee Se Ong died Monday at Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa. He was 76.
Stitt's advertising campaign is tone deaf to Oklahoma's current situation, and it seems doomed to failure, the editorial says. Any smart traveler would surely drill into the governor's promise of an open state, see the unhealthy situation in Oklahoma and stay put.
The 1,995 COVID-19 hospitalizations — confirmed and suspected cases — topped the previous high of 1,892, which was reported Wednesday.
New deaths included three in Tulsa County — one female in the 65 or older age group and two males in the 65 or older age group
The new deaths included 16 in Tulsa County.
The survey of 1,500 Oklahomans by Oklahoma City-based Amber Integrated suggests many respondents want more information about the vaccines and especially their side effects.
Her struggle prompted numerous EMSA colleagues and other workers with Tulsa Police and Fire to light up the night sky outside Ascension St. John Medical Center in Tulsa earlier this month in a show of support.
"Most of us believe that in 10 days to 14 days we're going to see a substantial surge in the number of cases in Oklahoma that get reported," said Dr. Dale Bratzler, OU's chief COVID officer.
The new deaths include four in Tulsa County — three females in the 65 or older age group and one male in the 65 or older age group.
The new deaths included 12 in Tulsa County — four females in the 65 or older age group, one male in the 36-49 age group and seven males in the 65 or older age group.
The number of cases in the state has now surpassed 300,000 and the number of cases in Tulsa County has surpassed 50,000.
Dr. George Diaz said there likely will be enough vaccine produced in the next half year to reach herd immunity levels, but the question is whether enough people will get immunized as experts stave off misinformation and dogma.
A total of 1,770 patients were hospitalized in Oklahoma as of Sunday. The state's seven-day average of daily cases is 3,455; the record rolling average for Oklahoma, 3,535, was reported Dec. 25.
An online portal set to launch Thursday will determine eligibility within each priority group and get contact info to state health officials for notifications on when they can make an appointment to receive the vaccine.
More than 1,900 patients with COVID-19 were hospitalized in Oklahoma as of Monday, with 488 in ICU beds. The state has led the nation for COVID-19 test positivity since mid-December.
"It's a job that takes a special sort of person," EMSA spokesperson Adam Paluka said, listing endless patience and love for the work for starters. "You have to truly have a servant's heart, and I think Debbie really checked all those boxes."
As of Tuesday 1,994 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Oklahoma, with 494 in ICU beds. The previous record was set Dec. 28. The state has led the nation for COVID-19 test positivity since mid-December.
"There is no way for eligible individuals to schedule an appointment in Tulsa County at this time. We will continue to update as we learn more," the agency stated.
As of Wednesday 1,987 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized in Oklahoma, with 489 in ICU beds.
State Health Commissioner Dr. Lance Frye, in a statement on Sunday, attributed the most recent figures to holiday gatherings and "less consistent reporting" over the holidays.
The Tulsa Health Department’s latest hazard map shows 28 county ZIP codes in dark red for “extreme severe risk."
The Oklahoma State Department of Health on Saturday reported 4,289 new COVID-19 cases and an additional 35 deaths.
On New Year's Day, Dr. Jeffrey Galles' father, Gerald, died from COVID-19 at an Ardmore veterans center.
It took CVS three weeks to bring vaccines to just 60 of 170 facilities. “We just could not stand by and let our veterans ... go another week without getting vaccinated," Oklahoma's deputy health commissioner said.
Across the state 1,763 patients with COVID-19 remained hospitalized Sunday, the most recent survey of facilities. Oklahoma is tied for No. 2 in the nation with a high rate of new COVID-19 hospital admissions.
About 4,170 new infections on average are being confirmed daily, with an average of 33 deaths. Across the state 1,902 patients remain hospitalized, with 471 in ICU beds.
The number of cases in the state is now 354,979 (311,883 considered recovered) with 2,987 deaths from the virus.
A record 18 deaths were reported in Tulsa County, which also saw the rolling average of new cases surpass the record. Two women age 36-49, from Tulsa and Oklahoma counties, were among the state's newly reported deaths.
An average of 4,165 new infections are being confirmed daily across the state, with an average of 30 deaths due to the virus confirmed every day.
A statewide mandate for schools to offer students an in-person instruction option is not out of the question, the governor's spokesman told @tulsaworld #oklaed
The president of Oklahoma Hospital Association said Stitt’s assessment would be a source of disagreement. “Our hospitals ... would not characterize it that way,” Patti Davis said. “It’s hectic, it’s busy, and it’s challenging.”
A Tulsa County woman age 18-35 along with two Oklahoma County men age 36-49 were among the state’s recently reported deaths.
The state's weekly epidemiology report revealed that Oklahoma has totaled more than 29,100 new cases and 280 deaths since Jan. 8.
"Why can't my governor be more like that, I seen more than one person say on Facebook when they read of David Holt's leadership," the column says. "Well, in the spirit of speaking truth, I'm going to tell you it isn't very likely."
Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter filed suit Tuesday in Oklahoma County District Court.
Jerad Lindsey, chairman of the Tulsa Fraternal Order of Police, died after suffering complications of COVID-19 in October. He was 40 years old.
Tulsa officers mourn death of Fraternal Order of Police chairman from COVID-19
About 10% of all COVID-19 patients experience post-covid syndrome, area doctors have said.
COVID-19: Tulsa County continues to see slight increase in weekly case count