Staff Report

MARION — The family of a Marion County man who died after contracting the novel coronavirus canceled a livestream of his funeral after previous social media comments by the deceased drew international rebuke.

John W. McDaniel, 60, Marion, died on Wednesday, April 15 at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 in March. He is survived by his wife, Lisa McDaniel, and two sons. John McDaniel was the owner of the O&M Company in Marion.

"Words do not begin to describe all of the emotions we, John W. McDaniel's family, are experiencing right now," Mrs. McDaniel wrote in a letter that was posted on the Snyder Funeral Homes Denzler Chapel Facebook page on Wednesday.

"Similar to thousands of people, we are suffering from an unexpected and untimely loss due to the effects of COVID-19, the likes of which we never could have imagined," she wrote. "During this time of mourning, John's story, along with early assumptions that he stated on twitter and Facebook have turned into national news. This news has opened the flood gates for people to share their own misguided anger and unfounded assumptions about a man they don't know."

News outlets from The Sun in England to the New York Post to Fox News over the past week have run stories critical of McDaniel for writing on social media that the new coronavirus was a ploy. Another McDaniel post used an expletive to criticize Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's decision to close restaurants and bars. The social accounts have since been deleted.

Mrs. McDaniel explained in her letter that she and her sons decided not to livestream the service in order to protect her family and her husband's legacy.

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She noted that Mr. McDaniel ordered his employees to work from home on March 16. He also "immediately self-isolated as soon as he learned he had been in contact with someone who had tested positive."

Mrs. McDaniel wrote, "the early actions taken by our National and State government were indeed the right action to take. Quarantine and social distancing have been effective in flattening the curve."

"We know if John was still here with us he would acknowledge the national crisis we are in, abide by the stay-at-home order, and encourage family and friends to do the same," Mrs. McDaniel wrote.