An unvaccinated restaurant owner who defied lockdown by remaining open and keeping his staff working has died of the virus.
John Scott Parney Sr defied orders by Michigan’s Department of Health in December 2020 to close his restaurant, Quincy Diner, stating he needed the money to cover medical bills for his wife Paula who has colon cancer.
But a year on, the business owner has died aged 62 after contracting Covid, according to his obituary.
A GoFundMe set up in his memory stated that while the restaurant had benefitted from Government funds to help them survive closure during the pandemic, the money covered barely a fraction of what they would have made if they stayed open.
Taking the decision to reopen while the shutdown order was still live, Parney contracted Covid and was hospitalised in September.
Although he was discharged days later, his health declined and he became "incoherent" and confused.
He died on December 14 in a hospital in Battle Creek and was buried in Camden, Michigan, on Monday, December 21.
The GoFundMe read: "John’s stats were dangerously low and he was immediately placed in isolation and given oxygen.
"No one would have ever expected what the next 43 days would have brought to our sister, Paula, and their family."
Relatives of the father-of-three, who had served in the Marines Corps, said he had not been vaccinated against Covid.
The GoFundMe continued: "However, during his battle, when he was able to talk, John shared with his family that he will be getting vaccinated because the battle, at that point, was worse than any training he endured in the military."
Before opening the restaurant he had worked at Hotel in Battle Creek and FireKeepers Casino, according to his sister Heidi Hodshire.
Speaking to MLive.com, she said: "He was a godly man and he supported the armed services."
Parney's wife is still fighting colon cancer, Ms Hodshire revealed on Wednesday.
Speaking to MLive.com on his decision to stay open for business a year ago, Parney had said: "My wife’s fighting stage-four colon cancer.
"We depend on this restaurant to help subsidize billing and all of that.
"My employees need that. Of course, if I’d have stayed closed much longer, I’d have lost my business."
