Monday, June 5, 2017

People Who Died

(with a nod to The Jim Carroll Band)

I have reached an age--59 later this month--at which many of the people I have known in my life are now dead. Relatives, friends, associates, so many are gone and so many have met unnatural ends. At odd moments, I find myself mentally cataloging all the different ways they have died. Here, in no particular order, are the people who come to mind:
  • Uncle Bud died at 47 of a heart attack during open-heart surgery.
  • Aunt Mary Anne died of breast cancer 19 days later.
  • A guy I worked with at the MSOE student newspaper died of AIDS in the early '80s.
  • Henry drowned while whitewater kayaking on the Crystal River.
  • Victor drowned at Lake Powell while swimming between boats.
  • Ryan drowned trying to save his dog from drowning. The dog lived.
  • Haley died in a water skiing accident at Ruedi Reservoir.
  • David died in an avalanche while helicopter skiing in Canada.
  • Atsushi died in a fall while climbing Mt. McKinley.
  • Doug died when his helicopter crashed while setting utility poles near Glenwood Springs.
  • John crashed his plane into Monterey Bay.
  • Bob died when his plane crashed, along with a client and the client's dog.
  • A guy from my guitar class died while paragliding when he couldn't stop a spin.
  • Mary crashed her car into a bridge abutment in Milwaukee.
  • Jeff was killed on his motorcycle in a collision with a truck near Glenwood Springs.
  • Gary died of complications following a bicycling accident.
  • Dan died of a heart attack while skiing at Snowmass.
  • Howard died of a heart attack while mountain biking near Aspen.
  • Greg died of a heart attack while water skiing at Ruedi Reservoir.
  • Eric died of a heart attack at 42.
  • Pete died of Lou Gehrig's disease at 47.
  • Randy died of lymphoma at 49.
  • Chris died of lymphoma at 66.
  • Nancy was killed in her sleep by an intruder with a hammer.
  • John, Joe, Chris, Larry and Mike all died from long-term cocaine abuse.
  • Deborah died of an intentional cocaine overdose.
  • Gene died of an accidental cocaine overdose.
  • Dan died of an accidental heroin overdose.
  • Bob died of a drug overdose before cancer could kill him.
  • Sam died from internal bleeding after mixing an antidepressant with ibuprofen.
  • Bruce drank himself to death.
  • Jim killed himself after a messy divorce.
  • Kevin killed himself after being bullied by his boss.
  • Bil killed himself over money troubles.
  • Scott killed himself when he couldn't fulfill his dream.
  • Stewie jumped off a pedestrian bridge on his way home from work.
  • Larry was killed as the result of a hit-and-run accident while driving home from work.
They are not forgotten.