Another one bites the dust ...

[tryan]

Went to a wake for a megacorp co-worker yesterday. 59 yo, 4 college age kids, wife. Died of lung cancer about a year after a routine (annual physical) chest x-ray saw a "spot" on his lung. Worker with him all 20 of my years in magacorp. He did 30 then jumped to another megacorp for the last 5. Never smoked.

So I said to DW, "Bad enough he was 59 and died of cancer. But what really hurts is that he was working 50+ hours per week right to the end and never had more than 2 week vacation at a time." I golfed on Mondays in a league he organized ... always referenced working late and weekends ... "mandatory" OT. It was hard to hear knowing he already had 35 years of his nose to the grindstone.

Gives a new appreciation to FIRE.

 

[Dawg52]

Oh man, sorry about your friend. Scary to hear these stories.

 

[REWahoo]

Really sad...

 

[Moemg]

So sorry ! I also found out recently that one of my former co-workers died of Cancer . She was 63 . These events just make me realize that my time is infinite and if there is something I really want to do I need to do it now !

 

[bbbamI]

That really is a shame...I'm sorry tryan.

 

[Meadbh]

That is just so unfair.
I found out last week that a former coworker who retired three months ago has metastatic cancer.
Bummer.

 

[flyfishnevada]

Tough to hear that kind of thing. Really highlights the importance of ER and the folly of working for just a few more bucks. Too bad.

 

[audreyh1]

So sorry ! I also found out recently that one of my former co-workers died of Cancer . She was 63 . These events just make me realize that my time is infinite and if there is something I really want to do I need to do it now !

That's the age my mother passed away from cancer. At 35 it definitely made a permanent impression on me about life's lack of guarantees!

Audrey

 

[CuppaJoe]

I’m surprised he had time for an annual physical. Now, retired, I enjoy doing all the routine checkups without putting them off or having to fit them into the workday.

Tryan, sorry to hear about this. Is there any chance that he actually enjoyed his job?

I had a friend who lived with lung cancer for 18 months after diagnosis. Of course he didn’t work after that and as far as I could tell, he lived his remaining days to the fullest; he was a very interesting person to visit during that time, seemed energized and it was as if it was the first time in his life that he became the center of attention. He was 42.

 

[Westernskies]

Sorry to hear about your friend, tryan.
You just never know...

 

[ScottFromUtah]

Sorry to hear about the passing of friends. A dear friend and university colleague of ours (DW and me) passed away at age 50 of a pulmonary embolism, with no warning whatsoever.

Another friend and colleague retired in good health at age 62 and died of cancer 7 months later.

Our own daughter died in childbirth of eclampsia just 9 months ago, at age 33. That has been very hard on us, especially on our SIL (obviously) and on DW.

Life is tenuous.

 

[tryan]

Is there any chance that he actually enjoyed his job?

I think he would say that he did enjoy work. I also think he didn't know anything different. The wake was loaded with "friends" from work and immediate family.

I don't want anyone saying "what a hard worker" I was at my wake.

 

[Meadbh]

Our own daughter died in childbirth of eclampsia just 9 months ago, at age 33. That has been very hard on us, especially on our SIL (obviously) and on DW.

My goodness, I didn't think that happened these days. I'm so sorry! It's so sad when a healthy young person dies.

 

[Moemg]

.

Our own daughter died in childbirth of eclampsia just 9 months ago, at age 33. That has been very hard on us, especially on our SIL (obviously) and on DW.

Life is tenuous.

I am so sorry to hear about your daughter . The loss of a child is absolutely awful . I lost my son eight years ago and the pain is still there just slightly duller . Take Care !