One year ago, the first known coronavirus-related death in the United States occurred in Santa Clara County, California.

Patricia Dowd, 57, had reported flu-like symptoms and died abruptly at home on February 6, 2020. Her death was not initially linked to the coronavirus, but in April US media reported that Dowd had died from COVID-19.

In the past 12 months, more than 26 million COVID-19 infections have been reported across the US. The number of new infections and hospitalisations recorded each day have fallen in recent weeks and the government has accelerated its vaccination programme, but the the discovery of new variants of the virus are fuelling concerns about its continued spread. Many hospitals around the US are stretched to full capacity.

The US has recorded the highest death toll in the world, surpassing 450,000 this week. On February 4, 2021, the seven-day average for COVID-19 related deaths was 2,997 deaths per day, according to the COVID Tracking Project. President Joe Biden has warned that the total number of deaths would pass half a million in February.

The people profiled below represent a small fraction of the lives lost to the pandemic.

They include a gifted engineer who helped pioneer the technology for laptop computers, a psychologist who dedicated his life to helping those suffering from mental health and substance issues, a speech pathologist who left a lasting impact on everyone he met, a respiratory specialist who risked her own life to save others during the pandemic, and a lawyer who dedicated his life to fighting for justice and equality. These are their stories.

Araceli ‘Cely’ Danilewicz, 73, New Jersey

Araceli ‘Cely’ Danilewicz, 73, a loving mother and grandmother, passed away on April 30, 2020 [Courtesy of Cecile Pagliarulo]

Araceli “Cely” Danilewicz, a native of the Philippines and a longtime resident of Passaic, New Jersey, took great pride in being a grandmother and considered the light of her life to be her two-year-old granddaughter, Adriana.

When Danilewicz was not spending time with her granddaughter, she enjoyed playing bingo and being a doting cat mom. Additionally, she was an active member of her prayer group and was always present to pray the rosary each month.

Danilewicz entered hospital on April 14 and passed away on April 30 from complications due to COVID-19. She was 73.

In addition to her granddaughter, Danilewicz is survived by her husband of 29 years, Miroslaw; her son Carlo; her daughter Cecile; and her son-in-law Carmine.

Cecile remembered her mother’s courage, strength and bravery throughout her life.

“I describe my mom most as brave,” she said. “Brave because she left her country without knowing a single person in the United States. During her sickness to COVID, it was even proven further how brave she really was. She was alone in her fight because we couldn’t be with her in the hospital but I know she fought it bravely.”

Dean Pryor Perkins, 65, Texas

Dean Pryor Perkins, 65, was a successful engineer and loving family man [Courtesy of Rayonon Covert]

Dean Pryor Perkins, of Houston, Texas, was known for his sharp wit, numerous talents and sense of humour.

Perkins spent much of his career working at Compaq Computer Corporation, where he played a key role in pioneering the design of the laptop computer.

“Something I’m very proud of is when they made the movie The Lost World, Steven Spielberg’s people actually called Compaq to use my dad’s computer, ‘The Armada,’ in the movie,” his daughter Rayonon Covert fondly remembered. “He had the prototype at my house. I remember he would bring it home from the lab and work on it,” she added.

An accomplished engineer, Perkins had a dozen US patents to his name, and helped Compaq secure its first European patent.

Covert reminisced about her father’s vivacious sense of humour, even if it was “embarrassing at times”.

“He was always making jokes and he was just a great, great dad.”

“He was one of those dads who never missed a recital, no matter how busy he was, he travelled a lot, but he was always there for us,” Covert added.

Perkins had an affinity for giving back to his community. He would adopt a family to provide for during the holidays or build homes for the less fortunate in his spare time, always making sure to include his children and pass down important lessons.

He was a family man and always puts his two kids and grandkids first. He was known affectionately as “Papa” to his two grandchildren, who were his life’s pride and joy.

Perkins passed away on August 5, 2020, after a hard-fought battle with COVID-19 at the age of 65. He leaves behind his high school sweetheart and wife of 43 years, Kim, as well as his children and grandchildren.

Thomas A Kirk, 78 and Janet Kirk, 73, Connecticut

Thomas A Kirk, 78, and Janet Kirk, 73 of Chesire, Connecticut, were married since 1977 and passed away nine days apart due to COVID-19 complications [Courtesy of the Kirk family]

Thomas A Kirk, Jr, PhD dedicated his life to helping individuals who struggled with mental health and substance abuse.

Dr Kirk obtained his PhD in experimental psychology and began his career as a psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he met his soulmate and wife of 42 years, Janet.

Kirk spent most of his career helping struggling families and individuals in Cheshire, Connecticut. Among his many accomplishments, Kirk was appointed as deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), where he was later promoted to commissioner from 2000 until his retirement in 2009.

Under Kirk’s leadership, Connecticut, along with Ohio, was named the best state for mental health systems in the United States by the National Alliance on Mental Illness in 2006.

“It wasn’t just a job for Tom, it was really a personal career. And because he saw losses, especially our sister Marie who died of hepatitis at the age of 30, Tom became even more committed to helping others,” noted his sister Tricia Kirk, a Benedictine sister.

“We still get notes from people that he had worked with and befriended. Tom was a ‘connector,’ bringing people together, which I have to say is part of who we are as the Kirk family,” she added.

Kirk was a loving husband, brother and father. He shared a special bond with his siblings Clare and Tricia who say he will be remembered for his huge heart.

Tricia remembers how Tom was always there for her when she became prioress of her religious community.

“He would call every week, usually Friday night. And, you know, he would be my advice person, greatest support, just [a] really wonderful man and great brother.”

One of Tom’s most ardent supporters was his wife, Janet. They married in 1977 and were inseparable.

Janet, who had lung cancer, passed away nine days before Tom after experiencing COVID-19 complications. Janet was “the first person in their Connecticut town to pass away from the virus,” Jessica said. Tom passed away on April 9, 2020.

“They were close in life and they were close in death. But to lose both of them at the same time was just tragic,” Tricia stated.

Vi Lieu, 44, California

Vi Lieu, 44, pictured here with his three children, was known as a selfless man who always put his family first [Courtesy of the Lieu family]

If there were only one word to describe Vi Lieu, it would be “selfless.”

“He was one hundred percent of the time a giver and someone who is just so, so very kind to other people,” his brother Theo Lieu fondly remembered.

Born to a Vietnamese family that emigrated to the United States when Vi was a small child, he worked hard to achieve the “American Dream” for his family in California.

“Vi and my husband’s family were immigrants and refugees, so they came here to America with very little, like almost nothing. And so Vi worked tirelessly. He was extremely hard working to make sure that his family had everything that they [needed],” noted Theresa Lieu, Vi’s sister-in-law.

Regardless of what challenges life threw at Lieu, his family always came first. His children were his pride and joy and he would drop everything in an instant to help out those closest to him.

“He, at all expense and at all costs, focused on his family and his kids,” Theo noted.

Although family came above all else for Lieu, he will also be remembered for his sensational sense of humour and love of sports and R&B music.

Lieu was ill with COVID-19 for about a month before he passed away due to complications on December 27, 2020 at the age of 44.

During this time, Lieu was diagnosed with pneumonia caused by COVID and was treated with steroids and Remdesivir. On December 20, Lieu was rushed to the ICU and placed on a ventilator, where he remained for a week until his heart ultimately gave out.

Despite gradually getting sicker and weaker over his four-week hospital stay, Lieu never let it show.

“He didn’t show it. We would FaceTime him every day with the kids, and he would always muster up a smile and he would talk to them and he would sort of joke around with them, which is who he was,” Theo remembered.

Lieu is survived by his parents Thomas and Linh Lieu; his sister Amy Lieu Neumann; his brother Theo Lieu; his wife Chai Saechao; his three children, Lana, Ellie, and Samuel Lieu; and his two stepchildren, Kaitlyn and Annabelle.

“The legacy and what I think I want people to remember about him is how much he loved his kids,” said Theo.

Mohammed ‘Manik’ Gaffar, 71, New York

Manik Gaffar, 71, moved to New York City in the 1970s, but always made sure to visit his old friends in Bangladesh every winter. [Courtesy of Jessica Gaffar]

Mohammed Gaffar, known as Manik, moved from Bangladesh to New York City in the 1970s. His friends and family affectionately referred to him as the “Indian Godfather,” an homage to his often-serious demeanour.

“We would make fun of him and call him the Indian…