Wow, lady jumps to her death where I live

[OldAgePensioner]

This lady was Chancellor of Santa Cruz and I live just two floors below where she jumped. Sounds like the pressures were too much. How sad.

GEDIT: Geez, how the link doesn't work. You have to sign up sorry.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/14895361.htm

Gist of the article was she jumped from the 44th Floor of my apartment building to here death after visiting her lesbian partner. She was Chancellor of Santa Cruz and under investigation for using school money for lavish expenses.

I heard the sirens but that every day and night.

[OldAgePensioner]

UC Santa Cruz Chancellor jumps to her death
By Julie Sevrens Lyons
Mercury News

Denice Dee Denton, the controversial chancellor of the University of California-Santa Cruz, allegedly jumped to her death Saturday from the 44th floor of a San Francisco apartment building, the medical examiner's office confirmed.

She was 46.

Denton's death is being investigated as a suicide by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in San Francisco. Her body was found on Saturday outside the Paramount apartments -- where he partner, Gretchen Kalonji, lives. The luxury rentals are billed as the ``tallest apartment for rent in San Francisco'' and are located on Mission Street at Third, across from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

No other details on her death were immediately available.

Her tenure as chancellor was a rocky one. The outspoken lesbian was criticized for having the university foot the bill for $600,000 in renovations to her campus home, including a $30,000 enclosure for her dogs, a new dishwasher, sub-zero refrigerator, and updated bathroom. She also outraged university union members when her partner was hired to work for the UC system at a six-figure salary.

Denton was noticeably absent from the university commencement exercises earlier this month, and some employees said she had not been at work for at least a week.

Denton was appointed by the UC Regents as the ninth chancellor of UCSC, and assumed office on Feb. 14, 2005. She also was a professor of electrical engineering.

Michael Reese, a spokesman for the UC Office of the President, said that office was still trying to confirm Denton's death and would issue a statement upon confirmation. Kalonji had been in Washington, D.C., he said, and was flying home.
Contact Julie Sevrens Lyons at jlyons@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5989.

[cube_rat]

What a sad situation. It's so true about the sirens. You become immune to the sound after a while.

Here's another link

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...GM1JK1MI15.DTL

[maddythebeagle]

glad you werent out for a stroll at the time, OAP

[OldAgePensioner]

Maddy, she jumped from a $6,000/mon penthouse just above me. I'm glad I was in the shower at the time. Seeing somebody take their own life is something that would haunt me for a long time. I've had a couple of suicides in my family/friends and I think about it often.

It's something I could not do but I don't judge those who do. Sad.

[Outtahere]

Very very sad indeed. I don't blame you OAP for not wanting to see something like that.

[mickeyd]

I have always found it very troublesome when I hear of a suicide. What could possibly be in the mind of those who take this final step? Could it be, "This won't hurt for long" or "I'll teach him/her to disrespect me!!" or "Gee, I hope I'm doing the right thing." The thing is that since most suicides are successful, little is known about their final thoughts.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mickeyd I have always found it very troublesome when I hear of a suicide.

We had three suicides in four years at my last command.

Each case was a fairly senior sailor (at least 10 years of service) exploiting a permanent solution to what admittedly were fairly nasty yet ultimately solvable problems. Each one was positive that they were doing the right thing for themselves and for family, and each one's death made the situation much worse. Each one of them was one of our best-- leaders, Sailor of the Year at one of their commands, and our top instructors.

If they'd been able to see what their actions produced, none of them would have take that step-- not only because of the pain & suffering they caused to those they professed to care for, but also because their suicides didn't solve the problems they were trying to cure (or even made them worse). None of them sought help from friends, family, or the chain of command. They were too proud, too embarrassed, and too independent. They forced themselves to uphold a facade that was at least as flawed as everyone around them, but they didn't perceive that... only their own perceived faults.

I may joke about 9mm healthcare policies, but the fact that you have firearms training & experience does not mean that you know anything about how to kill yourself. Each of them screwed that up too, and I hope they had each the time to realize how much they were going to suffer before they died. Because it's been as long as ten years for one of them, and I'm still extremely pissed off at all three of them.

All those years of mandatory suicide-preventionrecognition training-- worthless. You would expect that a highly stressful environment (sea duty, on deployment) would lead to more suicides. The truth seems to be that's too busy a time to kill yourself. The real danger is a relatively quiet period of shore duty with plenty of time to focus on friends, family, and those nagging problems that have been getting worse on sea duty. Now you finally have the time to devote your attention to them.

If there's something good that came out of these experiences, it's learning that people who start to discuss a problem and then "turn off" have to be re-engaged. The Navy even has a cute phrase for it now-- "intrusive leadership". Of course that pendulum swings too far, but I'd like to think that now I'm a little more aware that people going through problems like divorce, infidelity, or bad management may choose totally unexpected & inappropriate "solutions".

The cynical side is that whenever I see someone who's always out there helping others, staying late & working weekends to care for those in need of assistance, I can't help wondering what personal problems they're trying to ignore.

[cube_rat]

OAP - I saw the building where she jumped. Out of respect for your privacy, I didn't post the picture. All of I have to say is, that's one tall building

I read Chancellor Denice Denton's biography. She was quite an accomplished individual. I can't imagine what her family, friends, collegues and students that she mentored are going through. What a horrible tragedy.

[Brat]

I read the article in the SJ paper this am. As in this case, all the suicides I have known were emotionally isolated in the weeks preceeding. I think it is particularly difficult for people in leadership positions (family or business) to understand the importance of an emotional system.

[OldAgePensioner]

cube_rat,
and I live on the top floor. It makes for a great view.

It really has had an impact on the management of this building, they seemed to take it very hard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nords We had three suicides in four years at my last command. Each case was a fairly senior sailor (at least 10 years of service) exploiting a permanent solution to what admittedly were fairly nasty yet ultimately solvable problems. Each one was positive that they were doing the right thing for themselves and for family, and each one's death made the situation much worse. Each one of them was one of our best-- leaders, Sailor of the Year at one of their commands, and our top instructors. If they'd been able to see what their actions produced, none of them would have take that step-- not only because of the pain & suffering they caused to those they professed to care for, but also because their suicides didn't solve the problems they were trying to cure (or even made them worse). None of them sought help from friends, family, or the chain of command. They were too proud, too embarrassed, and too independent. They forced themselves to uphold a facade that was at least as flawed as everyone around them, but they didn't perceive that... only their own perceived faults. I may joke about 9mm healthcare policies, but the fact that you have firearms training & experience does not mean that you know anything about how to kill yourself. Each of them screwed that up too, and I hope they had each the time to realize how much they were going to suffer before they died. Because it's been as long as ten years for one of them, and I'm still extremely pissed off at all three of them. All those years of mandatory suicide-preventionrecognition training-- worthless. You would expect that a highly stressful environment (sea duty, on deployment) would lead to more suicides. The truth seems to be that's too busy a time to kill yourself. The real danger is a relatively quiet period of shore duty with plenty of time to focus on friends, family, and those nagging problems that have been getting worse on sea duty. Now you finally have the time to devote your attention to them. If there's something good that came out of these experiences, it's learning that people who start to discuss a problem and then "turn off" have to be re-engaged. The Navy even has a cute phrase for it now-- "intrusive leadership". Of course that pendulum swings too far, but I'd like to think that now I'm a little more aware that people going through problems like divorce, infidelity, or bad management may choose totally unexpected & inappropriate "solutions". The cynical side is that whenever I see someone who's always out there helping others, staying late & working weekends to care for those in need of assistance, I can't help wondering what personal problems they're trying to ignore.

I believe that Admiral Nimitz and his wife both took their lives due to terminal medical problems. I think they just went into the garage and turned a car on.

This would be the right answer for myself as well. I do not feel the need for the medical community to torture me for 6-8 months, before I finally die. The thought of sitting in a nursing home is truly terrifying to me. I'd like to be able to 'Check out' on my own terms.

The lady mentioned in this post however had other alternatives and could have sorted out her life.

[OldAgePensioner]

My mentor in Astrodynamics, Dr. Samuel Herrick of UCLA, took his own life after he lost his only son in Vietnam and his wife just slowly withered and died apparently from that loss. He just lost his will to live.

I'll go on my terms but it will be clean and easy. I got the plan.

[lazygood4nothinbum]

when the doctors could only prolong his dieing, my ol'man attached the hose to the car exhaust, swallowed an overdose of pills, sat in the driver's seat, turned the car on, put the bag (attached to the hose) over his head and shot himself.

the cops came back with the determination that it was suicide. my mother, who never cursed, said "no sh*t."

mom, on the other hand, has been dieing for 12 years by alzheimer's disease.

if a.d. is to be my fate i hope i have the guts of my ol'man and not the drama of my mom. but with dementia you never know. if i miss my window of opportunity it'll be death in slow motion for me.

i'd rather the free-fall.

[OldAgePensioner]

LG4NM,
I heard about putting a hose on the car exhaust in junior high school. The kid whose dad did it was never the same guy. To much rumor and torture for a kid.

As an adult, do what's right.

[lazygood4nothinbum]

i was 36 at the time. i've had to deal with a lot of death in my 30s & 40s but not much before that. i think the death of a parent by any means or way must be very hard on a kid in junior high.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cut-Throat I believe that Admiral Nimitz and his wife both took their lives due to terminal medical problems. I think they just went into the garage and turned a car on.

http://early-retirement.org/forums/i...40421#msg40421

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazygood4nothinbum when the doctors could only prolong his dieing, my ol'man attached the hose to the car exhaust, swallowed an overdose of pills, sat in the driver's seat, turned the car on, put the bag (attached to the hose) over his head and shot himself.

Wow!! I hope I am physically able to pull the plug myself if things get real bad but I never thought about taking so many precautions.

I guess nobody suggested that was a call for help.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff Wow!! I hope I am physically able to pull the plug myself if things get real bad but I never thought about taking so many precautions.

Most terminal patients I have known who no longer wish to continue living simply refuse care, including food and water. It's hard on the family for a few days, but without hydration most do not go on for long; weakness, finally coma and death ensue. Terminal sedation (rendering the patient unconscious without having the medication be the proximate cause of death) can be appropriate (and legal) here if there is a need.

The biggest problems arise when some long lost family member swoops in at the midnight hour (after years of minimal contact and little support) and demands that aggressive care be restarted, or that the "no code" order be reinstated. It's hard on everyone.

Another common problem is that most living wills contain only general language regarding "futility" of further care; you can often find some doctor who feels that there is something else that can be tried that "might" work. I've seen more than a few final chapters spoiled by the patient or family refusing to accept the inevitable. Instead of spending the last few weeks in peace and love, they are anguished by false hope, distressing treatment, and hospital care.

Circumstances permitting, if I were terminal I would personally call every known relative who matters, gently but firmly tell them my wishes in addition to writing it down with complete "advance directives," and fade away.

[donheff]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa Circumstances permitting, if I were terminal I would personally call every known relative who matters, gently but firmly tell them my wishes in addition to writing it down with complete "advance directives," and fade away.

I'm not ill at all but I have done that in advance. I also have a living will that I beefed up to include no food, no hydration, and excess morphine if possible. I wanted a "shoot me" clause but I guess that isn't kosher. I still worry that the darn paranoia about drugs in this country will prevent adequate pain control in the event of a drawn out bone cancer death or something. Thus I am curious about what active, "self-help" measures might be available.