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The following is a closer look at the victims behind the numbers - the local people who lost their lives too early to COVID-19 in January 2021.
As COVID-19 surges across Massachusetts and the vaccine slowly rolls out, virus-related deaths persist. As of Tuesday, Jan. 19, about 13,700 people in Massachusetts had died since the start of the pandemic in winter 2020.
Dr. Kimat Khatak. co-founder of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts
Dr. Kimat Khatak, 83, died on Jan. 7 due to complications arising from COVID-19. For 42 years, Khatak practiced internal medicine and cardiology in Holyoke and was contributing up until the day he died, according to his obituary. He founded many Pakistani American and American Muslim organizations including the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts along with Dr. Mohammad Saleem Bajwa.
Before his passing, Khatak was on his third generation of patients having literally healed thousands of people and saved many lives.
Richard A. Jones, former operations manager at the Grafton News
Richard A. Jones, 74, of Webster died on Jan. 10 at his home when he “surrendered to a brief battle with the horrendous COVID-19 virus,” his obituary said. He served briefly in the Army National Guard and went on to become the Operations Manager at the Grafton News and then Whatman Inc. Jones was an avid Red Sox and Patriots fans and was known to read two newspapers each day, cover-to-cover.
Patricia Anne Corcoran
Patricia Anne Corcoran, 57, died on Jan. 16 “after a courageous battle with COVID,” her obituary said. Born in Millbury, Corcoran moved to Worcester and was “the light in everyone’s life,” her obituary said.
Michael “Mickey” B. Army, former owner of Marlboro Electric, local EMT
Michael “Mickey” B. Army, 74, died Jan. 11 at an assisted living facility in Arizona. Army was a longtime Millbury resident who owned Marlboro Electric until he retired in 2017. He was an EMT and became a captain in the department.
Eventually, Nuro-Muscular degeneration set in, and in January he contracted COVID-19.
Kathleen “Kathy” (Bresnahan) Winoski
Kathleen “Kathy” (Bresnahan) Winoski, 84, died Jan. 12 due to complications of COVID-19. A beloved aunt to nearly 30 nieces and nephews, Winoski was described as “truly sweet to her core,” a “devoted wife, mother, grandmother, daughter, and sister.” Winoski was born in Holyoke.
Howard Albert, Navy during WWII
Howard Albert, 94, of Springfield, died on Jan. 11 from complications from COVID-19. Albert served in the Navy during WWII and supported the Marines during the battle of Okinawa. Albert worked with meat first at his family-owned Hampden Beef then at Spencer Foods in Springfield.
LTC (USAR Ret.) Lawrence Bellrose, Army National Guard Battalion Commander and funeral home director
LTC (USAR Ret.) Lawrence Bellrose, 82, died on Jan. 14 as “another one of the courageous fighters in the COVID-19 pandemic,” his obituary said. Bellrose was born in Webster and served more than 35 years in the Army. He joined the National Guard in 1959 then transferred to the Army Reserves where he rose to the rank of Battalion Commander of the 416th Regiment in West Hartford. Bellrose went on to run the Valade Funeral Home in North Grosvenor Dale.
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