♪ ♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >> TONIGHT A FAMILY WITHOUT
THEIR MOTHER HAS BEEN WITHOUT
HIS WIFE AFTER SHE DIED OF
COVID-19 OF COURSE AS HUSBAND
♪
SAYS SHE WAS LESS THAN A YEAR
FROM RETIRING AS A WAKE COUNTY
SCHOOL BUS.
>> THEN STATING DAY OF MY LIFE.
♪
WE WERE MARRIED FOR
41 YEARS. HE WASN’T JUST MY
WIFE AND MY
♪
KID’S MOTHER. SHE WAS MY BEST
FRIEND.
>> WE’RE SO WAS INFECTED WITH COVID JUST WEEKS AFTER THE START OF SCHOOL YEAR AND
TONIGHT, THERE IS A GROWING
MEMORIAL IN HER HONOR AT THE
COUNTY’S
BUS LOT. AND THAT’S WHERE NEWS
4 JAX REPORTER KELLY WILEY
JOINS US LIVE AFTER TALKING
WITH HER SO IS EMOTIONAL FAMILY
KELLY.
>> YEAH HER NAME WAS
GAIL BRUCE SO SHE’S A 26 YEAR
VETERAN HAS A BUS DRIVER THEY
PARKED HER BUS RIGHT OUTSIDE
THE PARK, THE BUS LOT HERE
AND BROKEN HEARTED DRIVERS HAVE
BEEN PAYING THEIR RESPECTS
LEAVING FLOWERS, ALL AFTERNOON.
>> THERE’S A LOT DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS SCHOOL YEAR IN CLAY COUNTY. BUT THERE’S PERHAPS NO
BIGGER HOLE, THE ONE LEFT BY
GUILT OR SO. THE KIND HEARTED
SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WHO FOR
26 YEARS, HARDLY MISSED A DAY
OF WORK IS DEAD AFTER
CONTRACTING COVID-19 WEEKS INTO
THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
>> I BEGGED HER TO RETIRE
BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR
STARTED AND SHE SAID NO I WANT
TO GO ONE MORE YEAR I’M GOING
TO GO ONE MORE YEAR.
THEN I MEAN SHE SAID IF YOU’RE
GOING TO GO ONE MORE YEAR THE
NUMBER TO GO ONE MORE YEAR.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN.
IN THE FIRST FEW WEEKS OF
SCHOOL. SHE SAID.
PROBABLY GO UP PROBABLY GOT A
RETIRED
IN DECEMBER.
>>JOY PURDY: HER HUSBAND OF 41
YEARS SAYS HIS WIFE TESTED
POSITIVE FOR
COVID-19 JUST WEEKS INTO THE
NEW SCHOOL YEAR IT WAS
IMMEDIATELY ADMITTED INTO
THE HOSPITAL. SHE STAYED THERE
FOR MORE THAN A MONTH IN A
CLOSE WARD IN THE ICU BEFORE
FAMILY SAYS SHE WAS PUT ON LIFE
SUPPORT. HE
PASSED AWAY. COBURN I’M.
>> IT WAS THE MOST DEVASTATING
DAY OF MY LIFE.
♪
WE WERE MARRIED FOR
41 YEARS. SHE WASN’T JUST MY
WIFE AND MY
♪
KID’S MOTHER. SHE WAS MY BEST
FRIEND. AND SHE WAS TAKEN
FROM ME BECAUSE.
DON’T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT IS PROBABLY BEING HIT
ANYBODY. WE ARE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER.
AND WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER
NOT JUST TO PROTECT OURSELVES.
BUT TO PROTECT EACH OTHER.
THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN HERE.
AND THAT’S HOW SHE GOT IT.
♪
>> CLAY COUNTY SCHOOL SAID THEY ARE DEEPLY SADDENED BY THE PASSING OF EMPLOYEE
GAYLE BROUSSEAU THEY ALSO SAID
THEY WANTED TO EXTEND THEIR
SINCERE CONDOLENCES TO HER
FAMILY FRIEND.
THE ADDED THEY CONTINUE TO
FOLLOW PROCEDURES LIKE
SANITIZING THE BUSES
REQUIRED STUDENTS WEAR FACE
COVERINGS IN STATE
ASSIGNED SEATING. WILLIAMS SAYS
HIS FAMILY IS COMING TO TERMS
WITH THE UNIMAGINABLE THE
CENTERPIECE OF THEIR FAMILY,
♪
GONE.
♪ GONE. >> I LOVE YOU MY 3 ORDERED.
NO WORRIES WHAT WILL THE NEW.
YOU’LL BE IN MY HEART FOREVER.
>> AND THERE’S STILL A LOT WE ARE WORKING TO LEARN ABOUT THIS
SITUATION WE’VE CONTACT THE CLAY CNTY SCHOOLS TO FIND OUT HOW MANY OTHER BUS DRIVERS IF
THEIR OTHER BUS DRIVERS THAT
HAVE BEEN INFECTED AND TESTED
POSITIVE WITH
COVID-19 AND WE’VE ALSO ASKED
IF YOU KNEW HOW MANY IF ANY OF
THEM ARE QUARANTINED
AT THIS TIME WE’RE STILL
WAITING ON THOSE NUMBERS WE’RE
STILL WAITING TO HEAR MORE
ABOUT THE PROTOCOL AND IF THEY
HAVE HAD ANY ISSUES WITH
TEACHERS OR EXCUSE ME WITH
DRIVERS ARE STUDENTS NOT
WEARING THEIR MASK INSIDE THE
BUSES AS WE LEARN MORE, WE WILL