Remembering Vermonters lost to the coronavirus

VTDigger collected stories about the Vermonters’ lives that were lost in the first few weeks of the coronavirus outbreak and shared them here.

A linchpin of the Ludlow community who took detailed notes during Town Meeting just weeks before falling ill. An immigrant from rural India who worked to retain her culture while seeking a better life for her kids and grandkids. A high school basketball star who traveled the globe as a federal agent but stayed rooted in Proctor. These are just a few of the dozens of Vermonters lost in the first weeks of the coronavirus outbreak.

Those who die from Covid-19 typically take their last breaths with only health care providers by their side. Due to hospital restrictions, family members may experience their loved one’s final moments through a phone or video connection, in many cases calling from just miles down the road. Gathering for in-person memorial services, especially to honor those who were avid churchgoers, has become impossible for the time being.

But those obstacles haven’t stopped family members and friends from remembering and celebrating their most cherished moments with those who have died. We’ve collected these memories and shared them below.

Sandra Lee Wooster, 78, had ‘a big heart, always giving’

Sandra Lee Wooster came to Vermont late in life. Born with an intellectual disability, Wooster’s mother in Claremont, New Hampshire, helped care for her throughout her adult years. That role later fell to Sandra’s daughter, Carol. “There were two different…