LAKELAND, Fla. -- A 90-year-old Florida man who dressed in full protective gear to say goodbye to his wife, has died of COVID-19.

In a Facebook post, Sam Reck's son-in-law shared the news that Sam has died.

JoAnn Reck, Sam's wife of 30 years, died a few weeks earlier after battling COVID-19. She was 86 years old and Sam was 90.

Sam Reck had been separated from his wife JoAnn Reck during the pandemic after the state placed a ban on visitors at nursing homes. JoAnn lived in a nursing home and suffered from dementia, and Sam lived in an apartment nearby.

Family members said the couple would schedule socially-distant visits once Sam couldn't visit the home any more. JoAnn would visit a garden below Sam's apartment window and the two would talk.

Sam told family members he never regretted his decision to say goodbye to JoAnn and hold her hand one last time.

This story originally reported by KJ Hiramoto on abcactionnews.com.