After 67 years of marriage, couple died from coronavirus fifteen minutes apart

Bill and Esther Ilnisky spent nearly seven decades together as Christian missionaries, including periods in the Caribbean and the Middle East, before preaching for 40 years in Florida.

They complemented each other: he was a bookworm; she was outgoing and charismatic. One without the other was unimaginable.

So when they died minutes from Covid-19 this month at a Palm Beach County hospice, it may have been a hidden blessing, their only daughter, Sarah Milewski said, even though it had been devastating for her. His father was 88 years old, his mother 92 years old. This weekend, they would be married for 67 years.

“It’s so precious, so wonderful, so heartwarming to know that you left together,” Milewski said, then added, “I miss you.”

Bill Ilnisky grew up in Detroit and at 16 decided to dedicate his life to God, Milewski said. He preached in churches in Missouri and needed a pianist. Friends suggested Esther Shabaz and they both fell in love.

“When my father proposed to him, he said, ‘Esther, I can’t promise you wealth, but I can promise you many adventures,’ ” Milewski recounted.

In the late 1950s, the Ilniskys took parishioners to Jamaica on a mission, fell in love with the island, and remained the head of a church in Montego Bay for a decade.

In 1969, the family moved from Jamaica to Lebanon, where Bill Ilnisky was a minister and taught undergraduate students. His wife opened an outreach center and had a Christian rock band. Due to the Civil War, they returned to the United States in 1976 and Bill Ilnisky became pastor at Calvary Temple in West Palm Beach, later renamed Lighthouse Christian Center International. His wife founded Esther Network International, the purpose of which was to teach children to pray.

Bill Ilnisky retired three years ago and although he was physically healthy for an octogenarian, he suffered from dementia. His wife still ran his prayer network and made calls on Zoom.

When the pandemic started a year ago, the couple took precautions, Milewski said. His mother stayed at home, but Bill Ilnisky went out from time to time. “He needed to be around people.”

In mid-February Esther fell ill and soon after they were both hospitalized for Covid-19.

Although the prognosis was initially good, the disease outclassed them. On February 27, it was decided to place them in an asylum and the administrators decided to leave them together.

Due to the virus, Milewski said goodbye through a window. They looked like when they were sleeping, his father lying on his right side, his mother facing him.

At 10:15 a.m. on March 1, Esther Ilnisky passed away. Fifteen minutes later, her husband.

“They were always together,” their daughter said, through tears.