An Alabama man who died from COVID-19 is being remembered for his love for music, his children and life.

Ronald “Ronnie” Jay Rich, 65, died March 28 in Fort Lauderdale where he had moved after his retirement.

His daughter, Becky Glass, said his death was a shock for the family. “He was all alone down there,’’ she said. “We were getting updates from the nurse. He could text but he just couldn’t talk on the phone.”

Rich was born and raised in Birmingham. He attended Mountain Brook High School and graduated from the University of Alabama where he was a member of the Million Dollar Band. Family said he was a talented musician who played many instruments and served as the band director at Hanceville High School and Grissom High School.

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He later became a successful mortgage banker in Birmingham before retiring to south Florida. Rich was a father to four children. “He was a great dad,’’ Glass said. “He was always there in everything we had going on.”

“He was always so loving and compassionate,’’ she said.

Ronald “Ronnie” Jay Rich, 65, died March 28 in Fort Lauderdale where he had moved after his retirement. He leaves behind four adult children. (Contributed)

Rich fell ill in March and went on a Friday to his doctor for a chest X-ray but the test was clear. Two days later- on Sunday, March 22 - he went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with double pneumonia, and several days later his COVID-19 test came back positive. By Friday, one week after he first felt sick, Rich was on a ventilator and he died the following day.

Glass said she’s not sure where her father contracted the virus. He is one of two people who died following a Florida music festival for which he was a volunteer. He was involved in multiple volunteer efforts in the Fort Lauderdale area.

“There’s no way to know,’’ Glass said. “He was very social. He was out and about a lot.”

“He was actually very healthy when he got sick,’’ Glass said. “The whole thing was a huge shock to us.”

Rich’s funeral was held in Birmingham, with only his sister and Glass in attendance. The rest of his children live outside of Alabama, including two sons who live in Israel.

Rich’s greatest accomplishment was his children. “He was very proud of them and bragged about them whenever he could. He had a good sense of humor even though he was serious a lot of the time but was not afraid to laugh at himself and make jokes whenever he felt the mood needed to be lightened,’’ according to his obituary. “He had a big heart and cared for his friends and family. His advice was second to none and he always ended up being right.”

Asked what she will remember most about her father, Glass said, “The way he looked at life and how positive he was.”

She said she wants others to be careful. “This virus is scary,’’ she said. “It’s no joke. It can kill anybody.”