DOUBLE TRAGEDY

Mom of S.C. Teacher Who Was Killed by COVID-19 Dies From Virus Weeks Later

Shirley Bannister died from COVID-19 complications just weeks after her 28-year-old daughter.

A South Carolina mother and daughter have both died of the coronavirus just weeks apart, family members told WCNC Charlotte Sunday morning. Shirley Bannister, a 57-year-old nurse and educator, was the mother of 28-year-old Demetria Bannister, an elementary school teacher who passed away from COVID-19 complications earlier this month.“My heart is broken. Shirley was like an angel on Earth,” said Donald L. Rhames, the president of Midlands Technical College, where Bannister taught in the nursing department. “Her life mission was caring for others.” Those that knew her daughter, Demetria, said she was similarly caring. “She would go above and beyond for her students,” said Rebecca Twitty, a fourth-grade teacher at Windsor Elementary, where Demetria worked. “That’s how I want to remember her–as a great teacher.”