# Taken at 41 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976 "2007-02-20T17:04:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/1 "2007-02-20T17:04:45Z")
Some of you, MADs mostly, know that I live with my girlfriend. Those who were at Dope the Halls in 2005 probably met her. Her younger brother passed away Friday morning. He apparently had a massive coronary while at work. It wasn’t totally unexpected, he suffered a couple of mild strokes not too long ago and was suppoed to be taking medication. He didn’t really cut the fat out of his diet, either. I wasn’t all that close to him but A.C. is devastated. I’ll see about setting up an account for her so she can post to this thread. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/2 "2007-02-20T17:11:55Z")
Oh, I’m sorry. My brother had a heart attack last year at 38 and had a not insignificant chance of dying in the CCU. He’s doing OK at the moment but his heart was damaged and who knows what will happen next. I’m so sorry the worst has happened to your girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/3 "2007-02-20T17:29:37Z")
My wife’s brother literally dropped dead of a massive coronary just a couple of days after Thanksgiving. He was 50. We had just been there visiting my wife’s family over the holiday and he seemed perfectly normal. Then, a night or two after we had driven back home, we got a phone call from my mother-in-law. We had to pack up again and drive right back to North Dakota. I was a pallbearer at the funeral. It was a very bleak and sobering experience. He had smoked unfiltered cigarettes and was a moderate to heavy drinker. He also ate crap and never went to a doctor. He wasn’t fat and worked out with weights a lot, so he never LOOKED unhealthy, but then bam, out of the blue, that was it. My wife and her sisters are still grieving, but I feel especially bad for their parents. Few things could suck more than outliving one of your own children. It’s the first time I started to think about my own mortality and really _felt_ it. He wasn’t the first friend or relative that I’ve seen buried but he was the first one close to my age who died of natural causes. That brought it home. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/4 "2007-02-20T17:33:48Z")
I’m very sorry for your loss, Lutegirlfriend - you’re in my thoughts… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/5 "2007-02-20T20:20:05Z")
My condolences to you and your girlfriend on your loss, **Lute**. Keep your chin up and be well. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/6 "2007-02-27T16:16:22Z")
Thanks, guys. I know she’s been writing a composition of sorts regarding his death and what he meant to her. I’ll see about one of us posting it here when she’s done. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/7 "2007-02-27T22:44:47Z")
Be strong for your Lady. She needs you. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/taken-at-41/392976/8 "2007-02-28T01:37:57Z")
I’m so sorry for your friend and her family. My father had a heart attack when not much older, but he came through. Keep us posted on how you all are doing, and if you can set up a guest account for her, please do so.