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'She Deserved Better': Family Mourns Walmart Employee Who Died Of Coronavirus

QUINCY (CBS) – The family of the Walmart employee who died of the coronavirus tells WBZ-TV their mother was an amazing mom and hard worker. They are now mourning and looking for answers.

Yok Yen Lee lived an active life for 69 years until she contracted coronavirus.

"She deserved better, she was like such a great woman," said Elaine Eklund, Yok Yen Lee's daughter. "She was selfless she was a great mother, a great grandmother."

For 15 to 20 years, she worked at the Quincy Walmart where recently she was one of 11 employees to test positive for the virus. On Sunday, she died from it.

Yok Yen Lee
Yok Yen Lee (Family photo)

"My mom is like the sweetest kindest woman you'll ever meet she was very funny, she loved to laugh, she loved her job," said Eklund.

The Quincy Walmart temporarily closed Monday the day after Yok Yen Lee passed away. The city health department was already monitoring the store and working with them on social distancing and crowd control.

"She had expressed concern to her friends, not to me because she probably didn't want me to worry," said Eklund.

She said her mom was healthy, babysitting her two grandchildren and taking Zumba every day. Two weeks ago she became ill at work.

"They said she started showing the symptoms the day before and they never called me or anything," said Eklund.

The next day Elaine couldn't get in touch with her, first responders had to break down the door and rush her to the hospital barely breathing.

"If I didn't follow up on her like I did that day, she would have passed away by herself in her apartment," said Eklund.

The last time she saw her mother conscious was through the glass at the emergency room.

"I never got to say goodbye because she wasn't awake," said Eklund.

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