An Ohio couple who just celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary sadly passed away from COVID-19 earlier this week while they held one another’s hands.

Daily Mail reported that relatives of Dick and Shirley Meek, ages 89 and 87, say that they had taken precautions due to the coronavirus pandemic over the past year, but they dropped their guard to celebrate their anniversary on December 22. Vicki Harper, one of their daughters, told WBNS that they were admitted to a Columbus hospital on January 8, and they quickly tested positive for coronavirus.

Both Dick and Shirley died on January 16, with her going first and him following minutes later, just three days before they had been scheduled to get the COVID-19 vaccine. They had initially been in different rooms on different floors of the hospital, but then their conditions declined rapidly.

“We asked [the hospital staff] for them to be together and they said absolutely,” Harper said.

Debbie Howell, another daughter of the Meeks, added that Shirley died first while the couple’s favorite song “When the River Meets the Sea” by John Denver played in the background.

“The nurse put mom’s head on my dad’s shoulder and she said to dad ‘Dick it’s OK to let go now. Shirley’s waiting for you’ and he passed within minutes,” she said.

The family penned an obituary for the couple saying that they had a “love story for the ages.”

“They had a fairy-tale ending. Our hearts are shattered, but we are at peace knowing that they are together forever,” the obituary read. It goes on to say that Dick and Shirley had been childhood sweethearts who built “a legacy of love” for their five children, 13 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.

“Theirs was a life of adventure – from sky diving to zip lining, their Bucket List was amazing!” the obituary continued.

“We are devastated to lose them both at the same time,” the family said. “But, we are blessed that they walked together, hand in hand, through the Gates of Heaven into Eternity.”

The family described Dick as an Air Force veteran who served in the Korean War and “was a romantic at heart” who “always put others before himself.” As for Shirley, she was “the reserved one” who quietly donated to charities every month.

“She was an avid shopper and loved to dress to the hilt for every occasion, and her sense of style was admired by all,” the obituary stated.

The family ended the obituary with a message to others.

“COVID took their lives from us, so we beg you all to be safe,” they said.