Bridgeport is grieving a beloved city worker who died of complications from COVID-19, according to the family.

Friends and family of Primus Jackson gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit Saturday where state and local leaders said their final goodbyes.

Jackson was a longtime security officer with the City of Bridgeport. His family says his death is a powerful reminder of the toll the pandemic has taken.

Jackson's cousin, Ron Simpson, said Jackson just celebrated his 68th birthday -- however he had a set of pre-existing health challenges before contracting the virus.

He says Jackson was hospitalized for about three weeks and seemed to be rebounding from the virus when he unexpectedly took a turn.

"I said to him, 'The good thing is ... now you will have the antibodies so you'll be able to survive it — and he said, 'Yeah, I'm going to be asking a lot about that so I can be protected.' So, there was the expectation that he was going to come out," Simpson said.

Jackson was a Philadelphia Eagles fan who loved going to visit family in South Carolina. His family says he was a deeply religious man who leaves behind a proud legacy of service to his community.