Couple married for 53 years dies while holding hands
Together in life and together in death, a pair of high school sweethearts from Texas who had been married for 53 years died from coronavirus side-by-side, holding hands.
Son Tim Tarpley says his parents, Curtis and Betty Tarpley, were both diagnosed with COVID-19 at the same time in June. His mother was admitted to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in Fort Worth shortly before his father, and she declined faster.
“My mom called me and said, ‘Hey, I want to let you know I’m ready to go.’ And I yelled and screamed,” Tim Tarpley said.
He then called his dad, who was on a different floor of the hospital.
“He said, ‘How’s your mom?’ I said, ‘Well, she’s not good. She may not make it past tomorrow.’ It...