LONG BEACH (CNS) — Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia announced today that his stepfather died due to complications from COVID-19, one day after the family held a memorial service for the mayor's mother.

What You Need To Know

  • Garcia's mother died last month due to complications from the coronavirus

  • The mayor has tested negative for the virus, saying he's had limited contact with his mother and stepfather

  • He shared an emotional post by his brother Jake about their parents

  • Their mother was an immigrant from Peru who became a health care worker in the U.S.

"We are incredibly saddened to share that my stepfather, Greg O'Donnell, has passed away due to complications from COVID-19,'' Garcia said in a statement. "It's a heartbreaking loss for our entire family, especially for my brother Jake."

O'Donnell, who died Sunday at 58, "was a kind and good-hearted man, an amazing father and grandfather, and the best husband our mom could have ever hoped for. He worked hard for his family and started his own successful small business as a contractor with his brothers,'' Garcia said.

Garcia's mother, Gaby O'Donnell, a longtime health care worker, died late last month due to complications from the coronavirus at the age of 61. The couple had been married for 27 years.

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The mayor and his brother thanked the nurses and doctors who cared for O'Donnell, and Garcia shared a post by his sibling.

"As my family is just broken with the loss of my parents -- I find comfort in knowing that they are together again -- free of any pain or suffering,'' Jake posted.

Garcia announced in July that his mother and stepfather had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and placed on ventilators. Garcia has tested negative, saying he had limited contact with his mother and stepfather during the pandemic due to social-distancing requirements.

"My brother and I are heartbroken," Garcia said in a statement following his mother's death. "Our mother was the kindest and most compassionate person we've ever known. She immigrated from Peru to the United States in search of the American Dream, and she found it. She became a health care worker, caring for thousands of patients over her career and assisting nurses and doctors who she loved dearly. She loved to help people and lived a happy and joyous life."