LB Mayor Robert Garcia's Mother Dies from the Coronavirus

@RobertGarcia/Facebook

On Monday via Twitter, Mayor Robert Garcia announced that his mother, Gaby O'Donnell, passed away from complications due to the coronavirus. She was 61 years old.

• Two weeks ago, Garcia announced that both his mother and his step-father had been diagnosed with the coronavirus and were both on ventilators at Long Beach Memorial.

"It is with deep sadness that I share that my mother, Gaby O’Donnell, has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. My brother and I are heartbroken. Our mother was the kindest and most compassionate person we’ve ever known." - Robert Garcia

What they're saying:

• Mayor Garcia wrote of his mother that "She immigrated from Peru to the United States in search of the American Dream—and she found it." And how "She became a healthcare worker, caring for thousands of patients over her career and assisting nurses and doctors who she loved dearly."

• Mayor Garcia and his brother thanked the medical staff who cared for his mother at Long Beach Memorial and that his step-father, Greg O'Donnell, was also diagnosed with COID-19 and is on a ventilator

• Long Beach Councilmember Rex Richardson wrote on Twitter, "I am deeply saddened by the news the loss of Mayor @RobertGarciaLB's mother, Ms. Gaby O'Donnell. May the care & love of God, those around them, as well as our Long Beach community provide comfort & peace in the days ahead."