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JUDY WOODRUFF: And now, as we do 
every Friday, we take a moment 
to share the stories of five

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extraordinary individuals 
who have fallen victim to 
COVID-19 in this country.

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Brandon McCray found a 
niche in music as a young 
boy, his brother said. 
He played the guitar,

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violin and bass, but was 
best known for his skills 
as a gospel saxophonist.

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He taught music and recorded 
an album in the 1990s.

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Brandon was a devoted 
Christian, his brother said,

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and played at many 
church events, including 
funerals, adding that 
the music had a way of

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encouraging families 
in their time of need. 
Brandon was 52 years old.

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Lorintha Umtuch was an 
ambitious, driven woman, 
her daughter told us.

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She went back to school 
in her 40s and received a 
degree in political science.

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Lorintha spent more than 
two decades as a tribal 
court judge on reservations 
around the West Coast.

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She was the first woman 
from the Yakama Nation to 
serve as mayor of Toppenish,

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a city in Washington state. 
The 73-year-old was an active 
member of the Baha'i faith

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and was passionate about 
teaching it to children, 
her daughter said.

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Seventy-eight-year-old Shabbir 
Hamdani loved to interact 
with people, his son told us,

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and that's exactly what he 
did for about 40 years as a 
cab driver. A native of India,

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he moved to England, and then 
to the U.S., landing in the 
Dallas area in the 1980s.

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He was adventurous, 
gregarious and outgoing, 
his son said. For the last

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few years, Shabbir was 
volunteering at the information 
booth at the Dallas Airport,

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where his son said he enjoyed 
answering travelers' questions.

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Abel and Aida Busque came to 
the United States from the 
Philippines in the 1970s and

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settled in Detroit. They were 
pioneers and worked incredibly 
hard, their son told us,

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Abel in financial services, 
and Aida as an OB-GYN nurse.

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Their children often 
saw them as a single, 
complementary entity. Abel

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was stricter and sometimes 
stern. Aida was soft 
and giving, their son 
said. Both 73 years old,

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the Busques died about a week 
apart, just months before 
their 50th wedding anniversary.

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It was a kind of beautiful 
poetry, their son told us,

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like they couldn't bear to 
be apart from each other.

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And we thank all the 
family members who shared 
these stories with us. 
Our hearts go out to you,

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as they do to everyone 
who's lost a loved 
one in this pandemic.