Sad Reminder

[Tekward]

I just received this FB notification:

For those of you that have worked at Unit 2 you may remember Bill XXXXXX. He passed away this past Monday 12/17. It's my understanding that he just received a voluntary severance package that would have kicked in on January 1st.

Tomorrow is not guaranteed, regardless of how well we plan.....

 

[Chuckanut]

I'm sorry to hear about your coworker and his fate.

It's another reminder that time > money.

 

[marko]

Sorry to hear.
Had a co-worker who didn't have to, but kept working specifically to reach FRA. Missed by 2 months; worse yet, he was aware of his short future and openly complained "I should've left years ago...what good did it do me?!"
My oft-mentioned brother had a massive stroke 3 months before his planned RE at 61.

But I like to think (hope to think) that for every story like this there are 1,000 others who RE and live to be 90. As noted, you never know.

 

[Red Badger]

Sorry to read about your loss.

At the end of my career, DW had a couple of health scares (and I had a heart attack ~20 years ago). But after flying home ASAP to help DW, I knew my time had arrived. I was not going to miss out on a few (or many) years with my Seoul Mate.

I'm not completely out of the woods either. Even though I stay in reasonably good shape, my cardiologist is the first to remind me, "people who have heart attacks.... have heart attacks."

In parallel, my BS bucket was filling up, and there were several org changes that turned a formerly enjoyable job into a grind.

I believe I had the blessing of "signals." I chose to listen.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Sorry for the loss of your co-worker.

Knew of several similar stories from my own employment as our generation (boomers) ages.
never know when, so get out whenever the getting is good for each of us.

I'm so grateful to have had these 3 yrs (so far) of ER.

 

[ER Eddie]

I wonder if this sort of thing contributes to the alleged correlation between retirement and death -- you know, the common belief that when you retire, especially if you're a man, you are at greater risk of death; you'll be lost, without purpose or connection, shriveling away to nothing.

p.s. Well, no it wouldn't, because he died still working. I was thinking of the people who die shortly after retiring.

 

[imoldernu]

There are no guarantees.
For me, cancer @ 53, in '89, jeanie, stroke @57. Now 30 years later, every day is a gift... and we know it.

 

[street]

WOW!

 

[LOL!]

A neighbor was on a business flight, long distance. A passenger died. The plane had a morgue on it because it happens often enough. Same for cruise ships.

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20120104-travelwise-death-on-a-plane

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

It all started with a friend who I knew in the Navy, he and I both shared the same size pension. While I decided to live on my pension and portfolio, he decided to start a new career. He died a year later.

I am 59, in the past 5 years we have seen a surprising number of our friends dying.

 

[Souschef]

I found a website for the alumni of a company I worked for from 1971 to 1985. There was a page listing all those that had passed away. It was really depressing to see all the people I had worked with that were gone.
I never accessed it again.
When my MIL passed away at 89, we found her address book, and all the names of her friends were crossed off. She must have outlived them all.

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

My mother got really depressed when the last of her friends' name was crossed out in her address book.

 

[brett]

My father had the same experience. All of his friends passed before he did.

He was quite ill and took an early pension at age 58. Stressful job. He moved to a warmer climate. Started playing golf, 18-27 holes three time a week. He became a different person. Collected a DB pension until his passing at 88. Lived in his own home, drove, etc. My mother collected than pension for another four years.

When I was given a golden handshake at 59 I planned to take four-six months off and then return to work. I never did. Never even looked for work-consulting or otherwise. I just decided I had enough and possessed the financial resources to make it work.

Time is so much more valuable to me than money. Especially time in good health that gives us the ability to do the things on our respective bucket lists.

 

[MRG]

This year a former co-w*rker was riffed, he volunteered at 60. The guy had been obese for years, perhaps morbidly. But he had always said he would drop the weight when he retired.

In the last photo he had dropped a bunch of weight and looked good. He was eating better and exercising. Probably down 100 pounds.

They found him and his bike on a trail when he didn't come home. Poor sob had like a month. RIP DG.

 

[NW-Bound]

A friend of my brother literally dropped dead while on a trip with his wife. He suddenly fell like timber from standing (knees straight), was out, and perhaps was dead before hitting the ground. I have not heard about the result of the autopsy. He was in his early 60s, and retired a couple of years ago.

Another acquaintance of the family was found dead in bed one morning. He was in his early 50s. I have not learned of the autopsy result either.

In neither of the above cases there was any indication of bad health, and both men were trim and fit.

 

[limeyx]

Friend at work was on the fence but stayed working because of medical premiums. I don't know her exact age (early sixties ?) she went home with a severe headache and was dead three days later from an aneurysm.

Doubtful being retired would have given her more time but I find it incredibly sad that she passed literally cursing her j*b

 

[NW-Bound]

Close work friend of my wife hang out at megacorp, while my wife retired. Then, the Great Recession hit, and her 401k got decimated, so she did OMY, then OMY waiting for it to rebound. She died of cancer a couple years later, never had any retirement.

Life is sad!

 

[Bamaman]

It's always so sad when people leave this earth too early--before their time. A couple of our friends were truly great men, and they left us the last couple of years at just over 70 years old.

I always thought I'd grab all the gusto that was possible, and I retired at 58 1/2. I just pray that I have sufficient time to give back more to the community and my family in the coming years.

 

[NW-Bound]

It's always so sad when people leave this earth too early--before their time. A couple of our friends were truly great men, and they left us the last couple of years at just over 70 years old...

I do not want to seem cold-hearted, but I make it to 70, I think it is OK.

When I was 55 and faced a life-threatening illness, I read blogs of people dying in their 20s, and 30s, and told myself I would not be nowhere as unfortunate.

 

[atmsmshr]

When you read or hear of these threads when young, it is sad. Time passes, life comes at us in a rush with education, love, marriage, mortgage, children, work, experiences, setbacks and triumphs. As we mature these stories resonate as our future - especially as close friends, loved ones or even ourselves go through terrible trials.

Got word yesterday that a co-worker I had known for 20 years just passed away. He was a year older (58) and had moved to corporate 3 years ago so I lateraled into his job. During the last three years he battled with bladder cancer, which ran in his family. Up until then, he looked the picture of fitness and health. A great guy.

Farewell Eric.

Another co-manager of similar age has taken 6 weeks leave since November to care for his wife struggling with breast cancer. Another fitness buff. She was working for me 12 years ago when first diagnosed and quit to focus on her health and children who were still at home at the time. They are a wonderful couple; I hope she recovers and they get some quality time together before the end we all must face.

Life can be sweet and bitter for us. For some, it will be shorter than we or our loved ones planned.

Two years ago I was thinking of retiring at 60. Last year I moved it to 59. Right now thinking of farewell to Mega this summer when I am 58.

Many of us plan for and work towards a 30 year retirement. Most of us will not make that milestone.

 

[Tree-dweller]

I suspect thoughts of creeping mortality and other life changes has played a role in at least one positive happening: a handful of my buddies who were pretty tight from college-age into early 30’s, but then drifted apart, have actually met up a few times in our mid-60’s socially, after meeting up at a funeral. I say “actually” because, how many times in the past have we said “Let’s get together” at weddings and funerals but it never happens.
Now, later in life, we seem to be more amenable, perhaps recognizing what’s over our shoulder, gaining on us.

 

[street]

Have had 8 friends or have known well, in the last couple of years that have died. They have been late 50's to early 60's.

 

[BrianB]

I graduated from high school in 1977, one of 196 to finish that year. We're all about 60 years old now.

Our class web page shows 22 have passed away - over 10%. I don't know if that is statistically high or low, but it is a reminder to me that a long life is not guaranteed and we should savor every minute / hour / day that we have.

 

[Dtail]

I graduated from high school in 1977, one of 196 to finish that year. We're all about 60 years old now.

Our class web page shows 22 have passed away - over 10%. I don't know if that is statistically high or low, but it is a reminder to me that a long life is not guaranteed and we should savor every minute / hour / day that we have.

Amen. I have this conversation with folks who bring up early retirement etc.

 

[oldphd]

I graduated from high school in 1977, one of 196 to finish that year. We're all about 60 years old now.

Our class web page shows 22 have passed away - over 10%. I don't know if that is statistically high or low, but it is a reminder to me that a long life is not guaranteed and we should savor every minute / hour / day that we have.

Same age, 170+ in class, 17 passed. I looked into it (just tried to find now, unsuccessfully ), but the numbers I recall was 10% at 40th reunion is about the norm. And another 10% by the 50th.