JUDY WOODRUFF: We want to take
another moment now to honor a
group of individuals who lost

their lives to the coronavirus.

Here are their stories.

Robert Shackelford
dreamed of serving in the
Army, but colorblindness
forced him to find

a different way to serve his
country. So, for nearly 30
years, he taught high school

American history in
Sarasota, Florida. Robert
was also a longtime
football coach. A fellow

coach described him as a
detailed and dedicated leader.

Despite a busy schedule, the
61-year-old always made time for
family. He loved mailing cards

to his daughter and
grandson, and regularly
visited his brother Steven,
who has disabilities.

Osanette Hernandez was a curious
child and passionate about
learning, her father said.

Just 22 years old, she had
dreamed of becoming a nurse. A
shy, but gifted performer, she

sang in her church choir
and played clarinet in
the high school marching
band in San Antonio,

Texas.

Osanette was a devoted daughter,
and started a business with
her mom selling homemade cakes

and cookies. She kept baking
after her mother passed away
last year to support her father

and siblings.

Forty-eight-year-old John
Eric Swing was passionate
about supporting the
Asian-American community.

He led efforts in Los Angeles
to help residents and businesses
through the pandemic. Co-workers

said the former Marine
Corps Reservist radiated
positive energy. A foodie
and an outdoorsman,

his wife said he was happiest
on the beach and when spending
time with her and their

six children.

Su Thao was a hero for
the Hmong people. After
escaping communist
Laos, he kept returning

to rescue family members, and
worked with the CIA on covert
operations in the country.

When he moved to Iowa in the
1970s, he worked to bring
more refugees to the U.S.

Eventually, he settled
in Fresno, California,
where he directed
documentaries, translated

popular films into Hmong and
even hosted a radio show. A
father to nine, Su was 72 years

old.

Sawarrelita Redmond's suburban
Chicago home was never empty.
For the last 15 years, the

mother of three ran her own day
care, where she cared for kids
all hours of the day, sometimes

free of charge. Sawarrelita,
or Nita, born in Mississippi
as the 21st child of 22, also

took in foster children
who were in-between homes.

She enjoyed playing cards on
the weekends with friends, and
was described by her daughter

Jasmine as uplifting, easy-going
and loved. Nita was 52.

And our thanks to family
members for sharing the stories
of all these individuals.

Our hearts go out to you
and all those who've lost
loved ones in this pandemic.