Obit of Texas Man Who Died of COVID-19 Includes Ominous Warning
Ive been doing this job for decades now and I thought id seen every way grief could manifest. angry letters to editors. lawsuits. silence. But an obituary that doubles as a political indictment? Thats new. And its spreading across the internet like wildfire right now.
David W. Nagy, 79, of Jefferson Texas died on July 22nd from COVID-19. His wife Stacey penned his obituary for the local paper the Jefferson Jimplecute (yes thats actually the name) and holy hell did she have things to say. According to NBC News, the obit wasnt just a remembrance – it was a straight up accusation.
“Family members believe Davids death was needless” the obituary reads. “They blame his death and the deaths of all other innocent people on Trump Abbott and all of the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously.”
And she wasnt done. The obit calls out “the many ignorant self centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of the medical professionals believing their right not to wear a mask was more important than killing innocent people.” Then comes the kicker: “Dave did everything he was supposed to do but you did not. Shame on all of you and may Karma find you all.”
Look I get why some folks are uncomfortable with this. Obituaries are supposed to be about celebrating a life not assigning blame for a death right? But then again maybe thats exactly the problem. Maybe weve gotten too comfortable pretending these deaths are just… statistics. Numbers on a chart. When anxiety around this virus has reached crisis levels, maybe we need the human stories to cut through.
David Nagy had diabetes heart problems and early signs of dementia according to BuzzFeed News. He was in a nursing home recovering from a fall when he contracted the virus. His wife couldnt be at his bedside when he died. She saw him through a sliding glass door and had to tell him she loved him through an inch-wide gap.
Stacey told CNN she was “pissed” when she wrote it. “Super pissed because it didnt have to happen.” And honestly? I cant find fault with that anger. When Texas had over 474000 cases at that point making it the third highest in the country someone somewhere has to answer for the choices that got us here.
The obituary went viral. Snopes verified its real. Governor Abbotts office hasnt responded to requests for comment. And 79-year-old David Nagy from Jefferson Texas is still dead.
Make of that what you will.
