Couple married for 58 years die days apart from complications of coronavirus
A husband and wife, married for 58 years, have died just four days apart as a result of complications from the novel coronavirus.
Margaret Sanders Powe, 80, died April 14 at Baptist East Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Charles Edwin Powe Jr., also known as Ed, 88, died on April 18.
"They enjoyed life together," daughter Hettie Reule told "Good Morning America." "Just like every family, there's always moments, but they really worked together to pull through those difficult times. They leaned onto their faith to bring peace and comfort to those situations."
"They lived a beautiful life," she added. "They were a sweet couple. We're heartbroken that they're gone, but there's comfort knowing that they're together."
Before marrying, Margaret met Ed, an obstetrician-gynecologist, in Florida while she was working as a flight attendant. They later moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they raised their children, Hettie and Charles Powe III.
The family described Margaret as having a great sense of style and artistic talent -- often needle-pointing, painting and flower arranging. Ed was a football fan and took pride in his job. He especially enjoyed delivering babies, Reule said.
Both liked hosting dinners, the mountains and large family gatherings.
"She was vivacious and energetic," Reule said of her mother. "She loved people."
"He was patient, he was always encouraging," she added of her father. "He had a genuine love for people as well. He liked to create fun moments. He was very active. He'd come home after work, he'd play with my brother and I -- football or wrestling. He loved his family and he loved my mom."
Ed and Margaret were also lovingly known as "Poppie" or "Popo," and "Nana" to their five granddaughters: Anne-Grace, Mary and Emma Reule and Elizabeth and Margaret Powe.
When asked to describe the relationship she had with her grandparents, Margaret Powe, 20, said her Nana was known for her young spirit and love for shopping.
"My grandmother [and I], we were really close," she told "GMA." "All my friends would say she was their biggest Instagram follower. She was very active on social media."
Margaret Powe went on, "My grandfather had [a] sense of humor and was a good person to go to for advice. I'm pre-track med in college and he was a doctor, so we would have those conversations."
Charles Powe said as his parents aged, they developed several health issues. Margaret had rheumatoid arthritis, and surgery for an aortic tear in early March. Ed had Parkinson's disease.
Both were hospitalized earlier this year for pneumonia, which is how Powe suspects his mom and dad eventually contracted and tested positive for COVID-19, he said.
When Margaret became ill and started showing symptoms, she was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. Ed followed shortly thereafter.
The staff at Baptist Memorial had arranged for the couple to have rooms next to each other.
Powe told "GMA" the nurses went "above and beyond" to not only care for Margaret and Ed, but make sure the family was well-informed.
"They were super sharp, brave and compassionate," Powe said. "Emily was one [nurse] who helped us a lot. We thought it'd be really cool if they could be together. She worked hard to help make that happen. It was just a huge relief to us."
Days before their deaths, Powe was able to go see his parents through a glass wall at the hospital. He and his family had also been saying their final goodbyes via FaceTime.
Powe's wife, Lisa, told "GMA" she's known her in-laws since she was a teenager and they'd often refer to her as their "daughter."
"They always made me feel so loved," she said. "I just appreciated everything they did for my family. My mother-in-law, her thing was she always wanted to take each one of the granddaughters to New York for their 16th birthdays and she did. I just thought she did very special things for each family member."
Due to stay-at-home orders amid the pandemic, the Reule and Powe families are now unable to have celebration-of-life ceremonies for Margaret and Ed.
When it's safe to do so, they hope to go on a family vacation to honor them.
"Since they loved having everyone in one place," Lisa Powe said.
