54-year-old Correctional Officer Thomas Adedayo Ogungbire died on June 11. His death is currently under investigation.
Ogungbire called in sick to the Hutchins State Jail in Dallas on April 14. On May 17, Ogungbire was transferred to Baylor Hospital in Dallas.
Recently, Officer Ogungbire was making progress and had been weaned off oxygen but he took an unexpected turn for the worse and passed away. He was a 10-year veteran of The Department of Correctional Justice.
"Officer Ogungbire could not have fought harder and we had prayed that he would win his fight," said Bryan Collier, Executive Director of the TDCJ. "Losing someone your hold dear has no measure. The fact that Officer Ogungbire fought so hard for so long makes that even tougher. We can only hope that the thoughts and prayers of the TDCJ family are some comfort to his friends and family."
Thomas Adedayo Ogungbire is survived by his wife Elizabeth, their two sons Tunji and Ayo, and the rest of the extended family. His family says he was a great father, friend, a lover of Christ and a hardworking individual.
At least eight TDCJ employees have died due to coronavirus.
In May, two correctional officers with the TDCJ died after testing positive for COVID-19.
