Mildred Virginia Chisum Painter, Virginia BIRTH: July 8, 1953 DEATH: May 9, 2020, age 66
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heree Chisum wasn’t permitted to see her mother, or speak to her in person, before her mother’s death May 9. There was too much risk that COVID-19, the contagious illness that sickened Mildred Virginia Chisum of Painter, might spread. Instead, from a Newport News hospital, a nurse coordinated a video phone call — a “FaceTime” call — so Sheree Chisum could see and speak to her mother one more time. It was a difficult way to say good bye. Her mother, known by “Mickie,” was hooked up to a ventilation machine and other medical equipment, and she was heavily medicated. “She didn’t know I was on the phone,” said Chisum of her mother. “I asked the nurse to put the phone to her (mother’s) ear and I just talked to her, hoping she could hear me.” Deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, began on the Eastern Shore of Virginia on April 8. Mildred Chisum was so full of life, it was hard to believe she was gone. She worked at the Perdue Farms plant for 44 years before retiring. Most recently, she worked in the kitchen of an Accomac branch of Head Start, a school readiness program for low-income fami-
lies. When the Head Start center closed months earlier because of the coronavirus pandemic, Chisum went home. She never returned to work. She was a graduate of Atlantic High School and was an eager helper for anyone in need. She was a faithful member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Painter. “She would help anybody who needed help,” said her daughter. “She would give you her last dime.” Chisum tested positive for COVID-19 on April 23. As she grew sicker, she moved into her daughter’s home. “She was just weaker and weaker,” her daughter said. “She was talking. She’d say, ‘I’m O.K., just let me rest.’” When healthy, Chisum didn’t rest much. She loved to shop. She loved to spend time with her daughter. She doted on her grandchildren. He had an ebullient presence. They called for an ambulance on April 30. After a few days, she was airlifted to a bigger hospital in Hampton Roads. Then came the video phone call. And then the funeral on May 16. The aftermath has been difficult. “My head has been all over the place,” said Sheree Chisum. “I just wish people would put on their masks and do what needs to be done.” — Written by Ted Shockley