Couple that ‘lived for each other’ dies of COVID seconds apart after 50th anniversary

Manuel and Sally Montano of Phoenix fell in love as teenagers while he was home in Phoenix, Arizona, on leave from Vietnam in the U.S. Marine Corps.

“They stayed in contact until he was done with the military and they came home and eloped, had a baby, and they were together for 50 years,” daughter Melissa Montano told AZ Family.

“They lived for each other,” said son Manuel Montano Jr., KNXV reported. Hardly ever apart, the couple wrote loving letters, birthday cards, and Valentine’s Day cards to each other.

On Jan. 28, Manuel and Sally died holding hands, seconds apart, five days after their 50th wedding anniversary, KPNX reported. The couple had been hospitalized on ventilators for weeks after coming down with COVID-19.

“We knew that they didn’t want to be like that, on life support, so we just made the decision,” granddaughter Jordan Montano told the station. “They never have to be without each other.”

“It was the way they would’ve wanted it, and it just showed the depth of their love for one another,” daughter-in-law Debra Montano told KNXV.

The family had earlier requested that Manuel, 71, and Sally, 68, be placed in the same room after their conditions worsened and they were placed on ventilators, according to the station.

“Honestly, I think they felt each other there,” said Melissa, AZ Family reported.

The family doesn’t know how Manuel and Sally contracted the coronavirus, according to the station. Both had been careful because they had underlying medical conditions.

Their COVID-19 cases turned to pneumonia around Christmas and they were admitted to the hospital in early January, KPNX reported.

More than 105 million cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide with more than 2.3 million deaths as of Feb. 7, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 26 million confirmed cases with more than 462,000 deaths.

This story was originally published February 7, 2021 at 11:18 AM with the headline "Couple that ‘lived for each other’ dies of COVID seconds apart after 50th anniversary."