Wanda Dench and Jamal Hint celebrated their fifth Thanksgiving in Mesa, Arizona on Friday, but there was an empty seat at the dinner table. After 43 years of marriage, Lonnie Dench, Dench’s husband, died in April of complications caused by Covid-19.
“I didn’t look forward to it before because Lonnie didn’t go there. The last seven months have been very difficult, but this was really important to me,” the 63-year-old Danch told CNN.
“I can’t even explain how much fun it was to have a good meal with my favorite company. We laughed, we had a great time, we were reminded of the past. It was great for all of us.”
The two shared a Thanksgiving dinner with Hinton’s girlfriend and Dench’s daughter and grandson. The small group decided to celebrate Thanksgiving on Friday so they could check for coronavirus before celebrating with their own family so they would not be at risk of spreading the virus.
“At first he was sad. We had a photo of Lonnie lighting a candle on the table, and at first we were all shaken, but it was five minutes before we came back to ourselves,” 21-year-old Hint told CNN. “We just told jokes and stories and shared our memories of Lonnie, so it was amazing.”
From strangers to friends
Denka, filtered grandmother, her grandson had to text him to invite his 2016 Thanksgiving dinner, but the accident was 17-year-old hintanane text while he was in class.
She was confused that someone had claimed her to be a grandmother. He sent his smiling selfie to work. She was not his grandmother, but he asked if she still had the plate.
“Of course you can,” she replied. “Grandma does that … feed everyone!”
So, she showed up at her house to share a meal, and soon the two became friends. Eventually, he and his girlfriends started going on regular double dates with Dench and Loni.
“It’s all about the spirit. It’s just the connection. It feels like we’ve known each other in the past,” Dench said. “There’s absolutely no pay gap between us. The conversation just keeps flowing, we never run out of things to talk about.”
When Hint first showed up at Dench’s door, he was worried that there would be strange silences or moments where he would not know what to say. How quickly he would become one of his closest friends, which he did not expect.
“Whenever we met, we just spent five hours, just talking and talking. It was never messy, Wanda and Loni became my two closest best friends,” Hint said.
“It is not nothing about its meaning, or tell the story of my life I feel that without noticing it., And he always listens to his story and share. It’s just a very loving person. It is very That’s right. “
Loni remembers
For Dench and Hinton, spending Thanksgiving together is a favorite tradition that both hope will never stop. But without Loni, things would seem a little different.
“Lonnie went missing this year, and that was a big part of the Thanksgiving story and a big part of our lives, but it’s one thing that Wanda and I know for sure. Lonnie would be very angry if we didn’t have Thanksgiving with us.” Said Hint.
According to Dench, Loni died on April 5 after battling coronavirus and suffering from double pneumonia due to the virus.
“I didn’t believe I had to go home without her.” “Even when he was in the hospital I thought he would get better and come back to me. He was my soul mate. He was my biggest cheerleader.”
She added that what everyone remembers so much about Loni is her kindness. He was known for giving random donations at hospice centers, paying for people’s meals without them knowing, and helping those in need.
Hinton’s memories against him are no different.
“Lonnie was never a quiet person. He didn’t even reach for a handshake when he walked in the door the first time I met him. He immediately pulled me to hug,” Hint said. “He was the kind of person who would always carry your hopes whenever you were disappointed. Losing him was like losing a best friend.”
Hunton and Dench are still healing from their loss, and say Lonnie’s memory will be with them forever. For now, they just hope his story will encourage people to be more careful during epidemics.
“Just be patient,” Dench said. “I know it’s not easy, and everyone is frustrated and just wants to get back to normal. But we need to hope and always take care of others.”
.
