DICKINSON, Texas – First-term Dickinson council member and member of the State Republican Executive Committee H. Scott Apley died Wednesday of complications from COVID-19.
According to a GoFundMe page set up by a family friend, the 45-year-old was admitted into the hospital on Sunday for pneumonia-like symptoms, tested positive for COVID-19, and was placed on a ventilator.
On Wednesday around 3 a.m., Apley died from complications with the virus, according to the GoFundME page. Apley’s wife, Melissa, also tested positive for COVID-19 but was not hospitalized. He also leaves behind an infant son, Reid.
Five days before his death, Apley shared a post to his Facebook with a meme mocking COVID-19 and the vaccine.
“In six months, we’ve gone from ‘The vax ending the pandemic’ to ‘You can still get COVID even if vaxxed’ to ‘You can still pass COVID onto others even if vaxxed’ to ‘You can still die of COVID even if vaxxed’ to ‘The unvaxxed are killing the vaxxed,’” the image read.
Posted by H Scott Apley on Friday, July 30, 2021
In April, Apley shared a tweet from a visiting professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University about the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy and commented “You are an absolute enemy of a free people.”
You are an absolute enemy of a free people. #ShoveTheCarrotWhereTheSunDontShine.
— H Scott Apley (@hsapley) April 2, 2021
Many people on his social media platforms are showing little sympathy for the councilmember, making comments that his death was of his own bringing.
Others, however, praised his character and showed support through donations on the GoFundMe page, which has raised over $30,000.
While Apley shared multiple posts about COVID-19 policies and the vaccine, his vaccination status is unknown.