You are reading

Relatives of Queens Coronavirus Victims Plan Remembrance Day

John and Brian Walter (courtesy of Brian Walter)

March 2, 2021 By Christina Santucci

Middle Village resident Brian Walter lost his 80-year-old father to COVID-19 in May, but his family was not able to properly mourn.

“We had a funeral with no attendance, no wake, no services,” he said.

So, Walter has sought to honor his dad, John, in another way. He has teamed up with several relatives of other victims to organize Queens Covid Remembrance Day this spring.

The event, which will pay tribute to those who died of COVID-19, is scheduled for May 1 at the Forest Park Bandshell.

The memorial is being organized by 12 people–many of whom lost parents to the virus. One man who will be participating will be doing so in memory of his son.

“They are looking for some sort of day where their…[family member] can be recognized,” Walter said.

The group plans to mark the solemn occasion by placing portraits of COVID-19 victims from Queens on 400 otherwise empty benches — and adorning the bandshell with yellow hearts inscribed with names of victims from outside of the borough.

So far, organizers have received submissions that honor 120 victims from Queens and 300 people who perished who lived outside the borough.

Sketched portraits of those who died are being drawn by the 16-year-old artist behind Faces of Covid Victims. Meanwhile, Kristina Libby from The Floral Heart Project will create an original art piece for the day. Organizers also hope to set up a reflection area at the site to honor essential workers.

Mr. Met and John Walter (Courtesy Brian Walter)

Walter said a short service and interfaith prayer is planned with remarks from elected officials and Queens residents who lost loved ones to COVID-19.

The group is still waiting to hear back about its permit request for the event, which would limit how many people could attend. The memorial will also be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person.

“It’s going to be an important event to try to find some sort of closure for all we have been through,” Walter said.

Walter’s father fell ill with COVID-19 in mid-April and died nearly three weeks later on May 10. Around the same time, Walter was himself experiencing coronavirus symptoms, and his mother, Peg, tested positive for the virus, but luckily did not get sick.

Peg has since been helping Walter with plans for the remembrance event. “She has been my rock through all of this,” Walter said of his mother.

When asked to describe his father, Walter spoke about John’s zeal for life and helping others. “He had an infectious personality. He loved to laugh, he loved to make other people laugh,” Walter said.

A lifelong resident of Middle Village, John had been honored by state Sen. Joseph Addabbo on his 80th birthday for living in the same zip code his entire life. “His great adventure was moving from one side of Metropolitan Avenue to the other,” Walter joked.

A historian and author by profession, John became a loyal New York Mets fan after the Dodgers left town. He rooted for the Amazins’ “no matter how bad the season was,” his son joked.

John was married to Peg for 57 years and had four children and two grandchildren. “He loved his family,” Walter said, explaining that his father worked with him every year to help organize a fundraiser for Autism Speaks.

“I definitely got my sense of helping others and doing things for others from him,” Walter said. He added that if his father were alive today John would be helping with the Queens Covid Remembrance Day plans.

Those interested in submitting their loved ones to be honored during the event can do so at the Queens Covid Remembrance Day’s website. The site is also available in Spanish.

John and Brian Walter (Courtesy of Brian Walter)

email the author: [email protected]

2 Comments

Click for Comments 
Amy

Thanks for this article. I was able to share it with friends who lost loved ones & it was very meaningful to them.

Reply
Sara Ross

My heart goes out to every family member and friend of a beloved person who died from Covid. This is a virus that is an invisible enemy and, unfortunately, there are plenty of stupid people (even after over 1/2 a million deaths) who have illegal gatherings and in my area of Forest Hills, many idiots who haven’t worn a mask since this started. Too bad we can’t make citizen arrests when we see somebody who is endangering the health of the people around them and the people they come in contact with.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

CM Moya announces support for massive Metropolitan Park proposal near Citi Field

Council Member Francisco Moya announced his support for Metropolitan Park, a proposal put forward by New York Mets owner Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International that calls for the construction of a casino and entertainment complex on the parking lot just west of Citi Field.

In a lengthy statement released on Thursday afternoon, Moya said that when he was first approached about the project, his main consideration was ensuring that it would meet the needs of his constituents and provide a major boost to the local economy.

Long Island man charged in fatal Flushing hit-and-run that left 81-year-old man dead: NYPD

A Long Island truck driver was arrested on Tuesday and booked at the 109th Precinct in Flushing for a fatal hit-and-run collision that killed a Murray Hill senior who was riding an electric bike on Northern Boulevard three months ago.

Kyle Schreiber, 27, of Lincoln Boulevard in Hauppauge, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in the death of 81-year-old Peter Seo on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 28.

MTA seizes 19 ‘ghost’ cars registered to toll violators at Queens Midtown Tunnel on Monday

Two days before the MTA Board approved the controversial congestion pricing plan for Manhattan on Wednesday, the agency cracked down on persistent toll violators at the Queens Midtown Tunnel in Long Island City.

MTA Bridges and Tunnels seized 19 vehicles registered to persistent scofflaws on Monday and issued 81 summonses and confiscated two fraudulent incense plates. The MTA noted that the scofflaws accounted for approximately $483,000 in combined unpaid tolls and fees. One of the top persistent toll violators from the targeted enforcement owed nearly $76,000 in tolls and fees.