Family's heartbreak as dad dies with Covid-19 – as daughter warns against ignoring lockdown

Reg Mifsud, 82, sadly died on Monday (May 18) in Queen Alexandra Hospital after failing to recover from the virus.

Of Maltese descent, Reg grew up and worked in Gosport where he went on to run his own construction business.

Daughter Michelle Mifsud-Mckenna, 54, has been left shocked and devastated by her loss.

Michelle said: ‘My dad will be ever so sadly missed. We initially though he was getting better and this has all come as such a shock.

‘One month he was there and the next he was gone. He was such a gentleman – loyal and kind to everyone he met.

‘He loved his family and his four children and 10 grandchildren were everything to him.’

As well as his love for his family, Reg also had a passion for music from the 50s and 60s and would regularly attend dances ‘from his era’ at the Court Barn Conservative Club in Lee-on-the-Solent.

Michelle said: ‘He loved artists like Elvis and Johnny Cash and would regularly go to fifties dance nights with his girlfriend.’

The pain of the family’s loss has been all the more tragic as lockdown restrictions prevented them from seeing their father at St Vincent House care home due to fears of potentially passing on the virus.

Michelle added: ‘I would go and see him and have to speak to him through the window. Now he has died we can’t even give him the funeral we want to as we are only allowed 15 people and can’t have any flowers.

‘Fortunately myself and my brother, Gary, did get to spend time with him at QA on the night he passed away.’

With reports of large groups of people breaking lockdown rules and gathering at the Hot Walls and Southsea Common, Michelle has issued a stark warning about the dangers of the virus.

‘Not being able to breathe is a terrible way to die. Anyone can catch the virus,’ she said.

‘While younger people may be fine themselves they may pass it on to an elderly relative or parent and end up going through the pain we are currently experiencing.’

Reg’s funeral will take place at Portsmouth Crematorium on June 5 at 1pm.

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