Elizabeth Warren's oldest brother, Don Herring, has died from the coronavirus at the age of 86. Don reportedly contracted the virus three weeks ago and entered intensive care on April 15. He died six days later.
Don was a 20-year veteran of the US Air Force and also served six years in Vietnam. He passed away in Norman, Oklahoma.
Elizabeth spoke of her brother's military career, saying:
“He joined the Air Force at 19 and spent his career in the military, including five and a half years off and on in combat in Vietnam. He was charming and funny, a natural leader.”
She also released a statement thanking the team who took care of her brother:
“I’m grateful to the nurses and other front-line staff who took care of my brother, but it is hard to know that there was no family to hold his hand or to say ‘I love you’ one more time. And now there’s no funeral for those of us who loved him to hold each other close. I will miss my brother.”
Don had already faced his fair share of health woes throughout the last few years. He reportedly beat cancer a few years ago, and he was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia in February. He and Elizabeth's other brothers often attended events and supported their sister in her professional pursuits.
Elizabeth also spoke warmly of her brother's smile, saying, "What made him extra special was his smile — quick and crooked, it always seemed to generate its own light, one that lit up everyone around him."
Elizabeth and her family received an outpouring of love and support from people online. Law professor and author Jennifer Taub sent her condolences on Twitter, writing, "I am so very sorry for your loss, Senator Warren. Sending prayers, love, and light to you and your entire family and his circle of friends. May his memory be a blessing."
Her professional colleague Pete Buttigieg also wrote, "I am so sorry to hear this heartbreaking news. Chasten and I send our deepest condolences from here in South Bend."
The outreach and support from those she has worked with and against in the past is likely very comforting to Elizabeth and her family right now.
Sadly, many victims of the virus have died without having loved ones close to them. In this absence, doctors and other health care workers have often stepped up to fill in the void. The Boston Globe reported that this was the case with Don.
"His wife, Judith Anne Hart, was unable to visit him in recent weeks. Warren said she spoke to him almost every day before he was moved to the hospital but it became tougher as his condition worsened. She told the Globe she last spoke to him Sunday."
Don likely caught the virus at the facility where he recovered from pneumonia. According to US Today, "His family told the Globe he was moved to an inpatient facility to recover from a bout of pneumonia in February. That facility discovered there were active cases among its patients and a test confirmed Herring was one of them."
Don Herring had a long military career that included working as a B-47 and B-52 bomber pilot. He flew 288 combat missions in Vietnam and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1973. He then went on to open his own auto-detailing business.
