A circle of Artesia’s relatives lost a husband and father Saturday in Albuquerque to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Albert Reyes, of Artesia, struggled with coVID-19 symptoms for nearly a month, said his wife Karen Reyes.
“It’s heartbreaking to see someone suffer from COVID,” she says.
Reyes said her husband and daughter Erica would possibly have the virus while driving with another user in Texas in June who showed no symptoms of infection.
“I hated the fact that my daughter was thousands of miles away and couldn’t be with her when she was sick, but she could take care of herself for that,” she says.
“I think we’re all still surprised that he’s made so temporary progress and finished what he did.”
Erica Reyes admits she has had a sense of guilt since she was in the car with her father.
“Even if none of us knew. I’m able to take care of myself. But I wish I could take this (virus) for my father,” he said.
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He is around 50 years old and suffers from underlying problems, according to the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH).
“He died with a blood clot in his heart, ” said Karen Reyes.
She said the blood clot in the center and moved to a lung and stopped its center.
Reyes is the moment when the Eddy County user dies from COVID-19, according to the DOH.
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The first death in New Mexico and Eddy County was reported earlier this year through the DOH when an older man died.
The elderly man’s name was released by DOH or Artesia General Hospital.
Karen Reyes said her husband was very careful with hygiene.
“He was always washing his hands and very careful about germs and when all this COVID stuff started, he started wearing a mask,” she said.
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Reyes said her husband wore gloves most of the time.
“He was the one who went to the grocery store and before he brought groceries into the house, he would wipe them down,” she said.
“He was a very familiar man. I had a lot of compassion for people. I’ve never met a stranger before,” Reyes said.
Reyes was 56-years-old and grew up in Artesia, and his wife said he was an avid hunter and outdoors-man.
“He loved to hunt and be outdoors. He loved to shoot all kinds of guns,” Karen Reyes said.
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Reyes spent more than 30 years with HollyFrontier, a major employer in Artesia, taking on many responsibilities throughout the years, coworkers said.
Former District 2 Eddy County Commissioner Royce Pearson, who worked with Reyes at HollyFrontier, described Reyes as “vibrant” and a supporter of the local community, coaching girls softball for a local little league team.
“He was passionate about returning to the city of Artesia,” Pearson said. “Albert Reyes was one of the smart ones. He greeted you with a smile.”
Funeral services for Reyes are pending.
You can contact Mike Smith at 575-628-5546 or email [email protected] or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.