Herts people who died of Covid-19 in the year since lockdown

Among the first deaths in Hertfordshire was a "much loved" family man and businessman who died after contracting coronavirus.

John O'Conner, 79, died at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage after he was diagnosed with the virus on March 12, 2020.

John O'Conner, right, pictured with his son Matt.

Due to underlying health conditions, Mr O'Conner was moved into an intensive care unit but he died shortly afterwards.

A father-of-two, Mr O'Conner was chairman of grounds maintenance company, John O'Conner Grounds Maintenance, which works across Hertfordshire, particularly in Hertsmere and St Albans.

An elderly man who died of Covid-19 at Watford General Hospital was Manohar Krishna Prabhu who became the sixth person in the UK to die after contracting the illness when he passed away at the Vicarage Road hospital.

He was in his 80s and a member of the congregation at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Letchmore Heath, near Bushey. It is believed he lived locally.

A Watford newsagent who tested positive for coronavirus died in hospital, the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) had announced.

Himanshu Patel, 51, ran Kay's Newsagent in St Albans Road, Watford, for ten years.

The father of twin boys was taken to hospital on Easter Monday last April but died shortly afterwards.

John Alagos (left) and Ate Wilma (right)

A “popular” NHS nursing assistant who was treating coronavirus patients at Watford General Hospital died.

John Alagos, 23, from Watford, fell ill during a 12-hour shift at Watford General Hospital but did not leave work early, the Mail on Sunday reported.

His mother, Gina Gustilo, 50, told the newspaper he complained of suffering a headache and high temperature throughout his night shift.

Ms Gustilo later found her son unconscious in his bedroom after he returned home from his shift.

passionate” nurse who dedicated more than 19 years at Watford General Hospital died while she was being treated for symptoms of Covid-19.

The death of Wilma Banaag, also known as Ate Wilma, hit colleagues hard after she passed away last year on April 17.

Mrs Banaag was a nurse at Watford General Hospital since moving to the UK in 2001 and had worked at the Croxley ward ever since.

Sara Trollope

A hospital matron described by her family as a "true hero" and who lived her dream to become a nurse died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Mother-of-four Sara Trollope died in the early hours of Good Friday last year at Watford General Hospital at the age of 51.

Sara lived in Carpenders Park with her husband Gary. The couple had four children; twins Kyle and Michael, and daughters Gemma and Freya, as well as two grandchildren.

Mrs Trollope worked in the NHS all of her working life, and was a matron for older adult mental health services at Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge.

A mother who “touched the lives” of people she knew died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Pat Campbell, 92, died in Watford General Hospital on March 31 2020, after testing positive for Covid-19.

She was admitted to hospital the previous day, where she was later confirmed to have contracted the virus.

Mrs Campbell, who was born in Somerset, moved with her family to London in the mid-1930s and lived around Finsbury Park and Muswell Hill.

Khalid Jamil, a healthcare assistant at Watford General Hospital, has died aged 67.

A daughter paid tribute to her "NHS hero" dad who died after testing positive for coronavirus.

Khalid Jamil, 57, passed away on April 14, 2020 at his workplace, Watford General Hospital, after a short battle with Covid-19.

The father-of-two, who lived in St Albans, was a healthcare assistant and had been with West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust since March 2006.

Mr Jamil came to the UK from Pakistan, where he was a qualified doctor, before joining the hospital trust.

He began his time at the trust at Hemel Hempstead Hospital before moving to Watford, where he worked in Bluebell ward.

A housekeeper at Watford General Hospital who went “above and beyond” his roles, died after testing positive for Covid-19.

The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS trust confirmed that Momudou Dibba, who worked at the trust for seven years, died on April 29 2020.

The housekeeper joined the trust in 2013 and was mainly known for serving Letchmore ward, and more recently Langley ward before his death.

According to the trust, Mr Dibba also took on other roles at the hospital including working in the reception at the Emergency Surgery Assessment Unit (ESAU) after his shifts finished and at weekends.

Ramila Smyth with her son Chris Oram

A son who lost his mother to Covid-19 early in the pandemic opened up about grieving under lockdown.

A year ago, Ramila Tara Smyth, 58, was recovering from a rare heart condition she had suffered with for nearly ten years.

But as the pandemic set in, she contracted the virus and her health plummeted.

Her son Chris Oram was working for British Airways and abroad at the time, but was concerned when he noticed his mother was ill and suffering some Covid symptoms on March 21, 2020.

After returning to Watford, he delivered some food to his mother’s doorstep, never expecting this would be the last time he would see her.

On April 9, Ramila’s daughter rang the hospital and was asked if she wanted to speak to her mother.

“My sister said to her ‘we love you and we’re so proud of you and we’ll be fine’. She closed her eyes and passed away while on the phone.”

Mr Oram said his mother had “so much more to live for” and was loved by the Watford community, saying “she had a look about her that you could not miss.”

“As much as mum’s heart was really damaged, she had a lot of heart for a lot of people, especially in this area,” he said.

• Do you know someone who has died of coronavirus who you feel deserves a tribute? Let us know at www.watfordobserver.co.uk/covid-19-tributes/