Elderly Couple Dies After New Furnace Malfunctions, Leave 3 Children Behind

An Illinois couple fatally dies hours apart after the new furnace they bought malfunctions. According to the Chicago Tribune and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, the two were married for 56 years. 

The Tribune reported that Leevell and Ora Robinson were inside their Maywood home when the furnace malfunctioned. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office told PEOPLE that Leevell, 80, and Ora, 78, were in their home on the 1200 block of South 15th Street when the fatal incident happened on Sunday.

Parents Were Unresponsive in Bed

Local authorities said that they arrived at the scene at around two in the afternoon. A little after, the couple's son found his parents unresponsive in bed after visiting their home. The Tribune said that the 911 dispatcher told the son to get out of the house if there was carbon monoxide poisoning. 

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Craig Bronaugh, Maywood Fire Chief, however, said that it was not the case. He noted that the home was abnormally hot at that time. Later, he learned that the couple had just gotten a new furnace.

Bronaugh said they manually shut down the furnace system after the crew arrived, and they did not find increased carbon monoxide levels after doing readings. The report also noted that the son explained that the furnace had recently been serviced after malfunctioning. 

Leevell was pronounced dead at 2:27 PM, while his wife, Ora, died at 6:49 PM, as reported by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. The Tribune also reported that Leevell died at home and his wife at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. 

(Photo: Unsplash/Harli Marten)

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Autopsies Explain the Cause of Death

Based on autopsies, Leevell died due to environmental heat exposure, which directly affected the furnace's malfunction. His hypertension and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease also added to the cause. 

Ora died due to hyperthermia because of the malfunction. She had diabetes, hypertension, and atherosclerosis that had added to her death as well. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office confirms that both deaths were accidental. 

The couple's eldest child, Terri Robinson, told PEOPLE that up and down emotions filled their days. She shared that what she and her brothers will miss most is hearing their mom's voice. 

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Prepared for Life Without Mom

Terri said that Ora taught them to be prepared for life without her. Little did she know that both their parents would die too soon. She has been spending time with her younger brothers, Athedus and Torvis. 

They remember the impact their parents had left on their lives. Terri recalled that her mom used to work at the Jewel-Osco supermarket chain. Her dad had worked at the holding company Navistar International and was retired. 

Terri said it would be hard for her and her siblings to spend the holiday season without their parents. However, she said that they would be strong because it was the way their parents had raised them.