National Association of Manufacturers CEO Jay Timmons is urging Americans and political leaders "to do the right thing" to prevent the spread of COVID-19 after his father Warner Timmons died from the disease on Tuesday.

In a deeply personal statement, Timmons said that his father, who was 88, had been extraordinarily careful in following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for preventing transmission of the virus. The CEO himself has been outspoken about the need for people to wear masks and socially distance during the pandemic, even as such calls met resistance from some political leaders and their supporters.

"Just a couple of weeks ago, my father was perfectly healthy," Timmons said. "With his energy and strength, you could have mistaken him for someone decades younger. He had no preexisting conditions, no serious health issues, no ‘co-morbidities.' He bragged about not even having had a cold since 2004. That's how powerful and virulent this virus is. It can take any of us."

Warner Timmons died alone in a hospital. Jay Timmons' mother, who had been Warner's wife for 66 years, was allowed a visit the day before he died only because she had already recovered from the virus.

"My husband, my children and I had to say our last ‘I love you' over a computer screen," Jay Timmons said.

The CEO added that his father's death "leaves a profound sense of sadness laced with anger."

"The fact is that my Dad—like thousands and thousands of other Americans—would no doubt be alive if someone else had just been a little more cautious and even done something as simple and effortless as wearing a face covering," Timmons said. "And that careless individual may have taken the virus more seriously if our national leaders had modeled appropriate behavior and done more to encourage Americans to follow those simple guidelines that would have kept our country safe. And I say all of this only in the hope that it will awaken others to the need to be more careful and more considerate of our fellow human beings.

"So this is my plea as I prepare to bury my father and comfort my mother for a life without her soulmate: Wear a face covering, practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings of all types, wash your hands and always be cautious," he said. "Protect your loved ones and your neighbors. These winter months, while manufacturers produce and distribute vaccines, are the most critical yet."

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