Associated Press-- May 12, 2020: The coronavirus pandemic's toll is often talked about as a number, ever growing - 2,000 dead. 15,000. 50,000. 200,000. Behind each one is a story, of a life well lived or cut short, of love, of perseverance, of heartache, of dancing, of laughter, of sacrifice, of bucket lists, of generosity.
Associated Press reporters around the world are working to capture these stories in a series called "Lives Lost." Each is told individually, often with audio remembrances and photos from family members.
They are the stories of ordinary people who have sometimes done extraordinary things, or have had a profound impact on the loved ones they left behind or the communities they helped to build. When the pandemic is over, and life returns to normal, the biggest scar will be all the lives lost. Here are just a few of them - a virtual scrapbook of a life:
"This was such a unique love."THE UNLIKELY COUPLE - NEW YORK
Edward Porco, 89, was a by-the-book, buttoned-up Republican committeeman whose opinions could be quick and blunt, who prized punctuality, planning and order. Joan Powers, 90, was a free-thinking, authority-snubbing liberal who would draw stories out in meandering conversation, found a home in protests and never let a rule get in her way. They were as surprised as everyone else when they fell in love. And till the very end, they cherished their differences. Read more about their love story.