# Jack Kevorkian dead at age 83 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 3, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192 "2011-06-03T14:04:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/1 "2011-06-03T14:04:40Z")
[Story here](http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/jack-kevorkian-dies-at-age-84-20110603-mr) Kevorkian was known as Dr. Death for helping terminally ill people commit suicide. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/2 "2011-06-03T14:07:27Z")
That’s sad. I know he was controversial, but I think he did a great many people a great service. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/3 "2011-06-03T14:14:03Z")
One reason I’m glad I live in Oregon, with its ‘death with dignity’ law. I won’t have to rely on someone on the fringes of the legal system to get the job done when the time comes. He was a pioneer, for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/4 "2011-06-03T14:26:47Z")
R.I.P. I think he was a hero to a great many people. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/5 "2011-06-03T14:36:44Z")
So… natural causes? Pussy. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/6 "2011-06-03T14:39:16Z")
I am sure there will be many who say “good riddance”, but thanks to Jack, the discussion of end of life rights was brought to the forefront. No matter if you agree with him or not, he was a brave man who stuck to his principles and forced people to discuss a subject many would rather have ignored. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/7 "2011-06-03T15:05:33Z")
Who got credit for the assist? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/8 "2011-06-03T15:08:46Z")
[One of my favorite Chopping Block comics ever](http://choppingblock.keenspot.com/d/20001102.html) was about Dr. Kevorkian. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/9 "2011-06-03T18:32:59Z")
I liked Jack for the way he lived frugally without much concern for material goods. I understand he donated quite a bit earlier in his life too. I believe his cause was just. He developed too much ego in the end and damaged the cause to some extent. Assisted death has been and still does go on in our society. Doctors know people are dying and want to die. Sometimes they permit it to happen when they could do more. When the patient and the family are of like mind about the situation, the doctor tends to go in that direction. I had one brother who wanted to die and the system spent hundreds of thousands of dollars stretching out the inevitable. I had another brother who was just ready to go. He stayed out of the health care system and died quietly at home. People deserve to have a choice. ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/10 "2011-06-03T18:40:23Z")
I admired him. Rest in peace Jack. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/11 "2011-06-03T22:31:36Z")
Definitely a worthy cause, but toward the end of his turn in the limelight, he just seemed a little too gleeful to me. Still, more good than harm. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/12 "2011-06-03T22:34:53Z")
RIP. He did good. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/13 "2011-06-03T23:57:15Z")
He was one scarey looking dude! The man was in love with death-he seemed obsessed with it. His research as a ypung pathologist involved transfusing blod from corpses. I hope he is in a better place. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/14 "2011-06-04T00:04:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > He was one scarey looking dude! > The man was in love with death-he seemed obsessed with it. His research as a ypung pathologist involved transfusing blod from corpses. > I hope he is in a better place. An article about him back in his heyday quoted an old girlfriend – ex-wife? – as saying he was fascinated with death because no one in his family had ever lived past their 60s, and he wanted to beat it. Can’t provide a cite, but I remember it. Anyway, RIP. Yes, a little creepy-looking, but a noble cause nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/15 "2011-06-04T00:17:35Z")
Assuming he did enjoy his work, even to a creepy extent, so what? How did that impact anyone except him? Honestly, if it comes down to it for me, I’d rather have someone who enjoys the process and is thus willing to take the time to do a good job than someone who just wants to be out of there and will rush things. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/16 "2011-06-04T00:22:26Z")
My favorite fun fact related to Kevorkian - his attorney, Jeffrey Fieger, is the brother of the guy who was the lead singer for The Knack (“My Sharona”). RIP Dr Death. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/17 "2011-06-04T00:28:09Z")
R.I.P. He was a true hero. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/18 "2011-06-04T02:07:46Z")
Antihero, at least. Maverick. Ideologue. I think he had a good heart. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2011, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jack-kevorkian-dead-at-age-83/584192/19 "2011-06-04T04:36:57Z")
Frontline had a good program on assisted suicide and they showed an ALS patient all the way through the process. The judge who sentenced Kevorkian better hope Karma was on vacation that day.