A longtime Chicago 911 operator died from complications of the coronavirus last month.
Rusell Modjeski, 60, was pronounced dead about 7:15 a.m. March 29, the medical examiner’s office said. Officials announced Friday that he died of COVID-19 infection with diabetes and hypertension as contributing factors.
“An all-around good person and friend to many, Russ will be missed,” the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications wrote in a tweet Friday. “Our sympathies go out to his family, friends and co-workers.”
He worked for the office for more than 20 years, according to an OEMC Facebook post.
As of Friday, 438 COVID-19 deaths had been confirmed in Cook County, with a total of 596 in the state of Illinois, officials said. So far, 17,887 people in the state have tested positive for the disease.
OEMC is incredibly saddened at the loss of longtime 911 call taker, Russ Modjeski. An all-around good person & friend to many, Russ will be missed. Our sympathies go out to his family, friends & co-workers.
— Chicago OEMC (@ChicagoOEMC) April 10, 2020
