Obituary for Sandra Beth Krakow (Laserson)
Obituary of Sandra Krakow
by Ira Krakow
My wife, Sandra Krakow, died on Friday, March 27, 2020, at approximately 5:00am after a brief illness caused by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. She died alone, lacking the company of her loved ones, because of the "No Visitors" policy required by the hospital to insure patient and staff safety.
Sandra had some underlying pulmonary conditions (COPD, asthma) and she used a CPAP machine. These conditions, while taken separately, may seem mild, and they were well controlled with her usual medications and she was able to live a normal life. However, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection that she acquired proved to be the "straw that broke the camel's back", overwhelming her immune system.
On March 19, 2020, she awoke at approximately 2:30 am in the morning, with the type of asthma attack that she had previously controlled with her usual inhalers. She spent nearly 45 minutes trying to control it, without success. Sandy asked me to call 911 because she basically could not breathe. The ambulance arrived within 5 minutes. She was transported promptly to the Beverly Hospital emergency room. The ER doctor told me that she stopped breathing. She tried a number of techniques until she found one that worked. Once her breathing was stabilized in the ER, she was admitted to the Beverly Hospital Intensive Care Unit, and placed on a ventilator, with a central line feeding tube and various other IVs.
The ICU team heroically attempted to lower her oxygen saturation, to allow her to reduce her reliance on the ventilator. She showed breathing problems with a 35% saturation, so they were forced to raise it to 50%. They were never able to achieve that 35% level again.
As an in-patient in a hospital, with respiratory issues, Sandy qualified for the Coronavirus test. She was administered the test on March 20, 2020. With the expected 48-hour turnaround, the test result came out as positive on March 22, 2020.
During the rest of the week, the staff tried heroically to search for an effective therapy for Sandy's condition. They tried all available possibilities, including the malaria therapy that some had claimed was a cure-all for COVID-19. Nothing worked.
On Thursday, March 26, 2020, at approximately 10:00 pm, I received a call from the ICU doctor. They increased her oxygen saturation to 100%, but Sandy was starting to show multple organ failure at that point. The doctor told me that the "final call" would be in approximately 2 hours.
Sandy hung on far longer than that. She fought to the end.
Sandra Krakow was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts on May 16, 1950. She is survived by Ira Krakow, her husband of nearly 50 years. She is also survived by our daughter, Laura Stearns Krakow, our son, Samuel Louis Krakow, as well as her sister, Cheryl Fusco. She will be dearly missed, not only by her immediate family, but by everyone whose lives she touched. She was a retired registered nurse who chose direct patient care instead of supervisory or administrative positions that might have paid more. All of her clients adored her.
Sandy was a 1969 graduate of the The Maimonides School (Brookline, Massachusetts), and a 1973 graduate of the Northeastern University College of Nursing. She was a beloved member of the congregation at Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield for nearly 40 years, as well as a lifetime member of the Sisterhood of Temple Emmanuel, President of the Sisterhood of Temple Emmanuel, and recipient of the Sisterhood's Woman Of Valor award. Her loss was deeply felt by the entire Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield community.
Sandy's last wish was that her funeral be conducted in accordance with traditional Jewish law. In spite of the unique circumstances at the time of her death, her wish was fulfilled. Although a traditional in person funeral service was not possible, her burial was witnessed by the Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield congregants, as a "drive-by" minyan at her final resting place, the cemetery of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, which overlooks Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. All traditional Hebrew prayers were recited by Jay Goldman, the owner of Goldman Funeral Home in Malden, Massachusetts. You can view a video of Sandy's burial, on this site.
Our family wishes to thank the Congregation of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, as well as Jay and the entire Goldman Funeral Chapel team, for fulfilling Sandy's last wish, which is also the traditional Jewish mitzvah (good deed) that the community bury its dead according to Jewish law. Jay and the entire Goldman Funeral Chapel team showed extraordinary creative ingenuity, at the risk of their own personal health and safety. Our family sends our deepest thanks to them.
A virtual funeral service was performed by Rabbi Greg Hersh, the Rabbi of Congregation Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, the next day (March 30, 2020). The Rabbi performed the service via the Zoom software program. The service was watched by many of our friends from around the world, including 15 of her classmates from the Maimonides School, many of whom watched from their homes in Israel, as well as many members of Sandy's family who otherwise would not have been able to attend. There were over 100 attendees.
A virtual shiva, lasting 7 days, was observed, also using Zoom. Shiva visits were held starting Monday, March 30, 2020, until April 6, 2020.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic rules, a physical funeral service would have been impossible and unsafe. Sandy's entire life was devoted to caring for others.
The family requests that all donations in Sandy's memory be made to:
Beverly Hospital
85 Herrick Street
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
Baruch HaDayan HaEmet. Blessed is the Judge of Truth.
by Ira Krakow
My wife, Sandra Krakow, died on Friday, March 27, 2020, at approximately 5:00am after a brief illness caused by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. She died alone, lacking the company of her loved ones, because of the "No Visitors" policy required by the hospital to insure patient and staff safety.
Sandra had some underlying pulmonary conditions (COPD, asthma) and she used a CPAP machine. These conditions, while taken separately, may seem mild, and they were well controlled with her usual medications and she was able to live a normal life. However, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection that she acquired proved to be the "straw that broke the camel's back", overwhelming her immune system.
On March 19, 2020, she awoke at approximately 2:30 am in the morning, with the type of asthma attack that she had previously controlled with her usual inhalers. She spent nearly 45 minutes trying to control it, without success. Sandy asked me to call 911 because she basically could not breathe. The ambulance arrived within 5 minutes. She was transported promptly to the Beverly Hospital emergency room. The ER doctor told me that she stopped breathing. She tried a number of techniques until she found one that worked. Once her breathing was stabilized in the ER, she was admitted to the Beverly Hospital Intensive Care Unit, and placed on a ventilator, with a central line feeding tube and various other IVs.
The ICU team heroically attempted to lower her oxygen saturation, to allow her to reduce her reliance on the ventilator. She showed breathing problems with a 35% saturation, so they were forced to raise it to 50%. They were never able to achieve that 35% level again.
As an in-patient in a hospital, with respiratory issues, Sandy qualified for the Coronavirus test. She was administered the test on March 20, 2020. With the expected 48-hour turnaround, the test result came out as positive on March 22, 2020.
During the rest of the week, the staff tried heroically to search for an effective therapy for Sandy's condition. They tried all available possibilities, including the malaria therapy that some had claimed was a cure-all for COVID-19. Nothing worked.
On Thursday, March 26, 2020, at approximately 10:00 pm, I received a call from the ICU doctor. They increased her oxygen saturation to 100%, but Sandy was starting to show multple organ failure at that point. The doctor told me that the "final call" would be in approximately 2 hours.
Sandy hung on far longer than that. She fought to the end.
Sandra Krakow was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts on May 16, 1950. She is survived by Ira Krakow, her husband of nearly 50 years. She is also survived by our daughter, Laura Stearns Krakow, our son, Samuel Louis Krakow, as well as her sister, Cheryl Fusco. She will be dearly missed, not only by her immediate family, but by everyone whose lives she touched. She was a retired registered nurse who chose direct patient care instead of supervisory or administrative positions that might have paid more. All of her clients adored her.
Sandy was a 1969 graduate of the The Maimonides School (Brookline, Massachusetts), and a 1973 graduate of the Northeastern University College of Nursing. She was a beloved member of the congregation at Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield for nearly 40 years, as well as a lifetime member of the Sisterhood of Temple Emmanuel, President of the Sisterhood of Temple Emmanuel, and recipient of the Sisterhood's Woman Of Valor award. Her loss was deeply felt by the entire Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield community.
Sandy's last wish was that her funeral be conducted in accordance with traditional Jewish law. In spite of the unique circumstances at the time of her death, her wish was fulfilled. Although a traditional in person funeral service was not possible, her burial was witnessed by the Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield congregants, as a "drive-by" minyan at her final resting place, the cemetery of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, which overlooks Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. All traditional Hebrew prayers were recited by Jay Goldman, the owner of Goldman Funeral Home in Malden, Massachusetts. You can view a video of Sandy's burial, on this site.
Our family wishes to thank the Congregation of Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, as well as Jay and the entire Goldman Funeral Chapel team, for fulfilling Sandy's last wish, which is also the traditional Jewish mitzvah (good deed) that the community bury its dead according to Jewish law. Jay and the entire Goldman Funeral Chapel team showed extraordinary creative ingenuity, at the risk of their own personal health and safety. Our family sends our deepest thanks to them.
A virtual funeral service was performed by Rabbi Greg Hersh, the Rabbi of Congregation Temple Emmanuel of Wakefield, the next day (March 30, 2020). The Rabbi performed the service via the Zoom software program. The service was watched by many of our friends from around the world, including 15 of her classmates from the Maimonides School, many of whom watched from their homes in Israel, as well as many members of Sandy's family who otherwise would not have been able to attend. There were over 100 attendees.
A virtual shiva, lasting 7 days, was observed, also using Zoom. Shiva visits were held starting Monday, March 30, 2020, until April 6, 2020.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic rules, a physical funeral service would have been impossible and unsafe. Sandy's entire life was devoted to caring for others.
The family requests that all donations in Sandy's memory be made to:
Beverly Hospital
85 Herrick Street
Beverly, Massachusetts 01915
Baruch HaDayan HaEmet. Blessed is the Judge of Truth.