# The death curse of the family... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588 "2004-06-16T01:49:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/1 "2004-06-16T01:49:01Z")
Is poor living habits! ::rimshot:: Ok, sorry. My uncle Neal died today. I took notice of it because he was 57, still quite young, but then I was struck by a numbing realization. My father died at 59, my aunt Judy at 61, my uncle Bob’s dying slowly at 64, and my aunt Mitzi is hanging on to life at something like 58. My grandfather on that side outlived his siblings by surviving to 67. Grandmother at something like 65. These are not good numbers… ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/2 "2004-06-16T01:52:57Z")
Yep. Statistics don’t lie. You are definitely gonna die someday. Waiiiit a minute. My grandparents are all dead! And all of their parents, etc. That means I’m gonna die too someday! :eek: Gee, thanks for ruining my day … 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/3 "2004-06-16T01:55:22Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Yep. Statistics don’t lie. You are definitely gonna die someday. > > Waiiiit a minute. My grandparents are all dead! And all of their parents, etc. That means I’m gonna die too someday! :eek: > > Gee, thanks for ruining my day … 😛 But hardly anyone made it to their mid sixties! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/4 "2004-06-16T12:11:17Z")
My advice to you: Don’t buy any green bananas! ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/5 "2004-06-16T12:17:17Z")
I am sorry about your loss. What did all these relatives die from? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/6 "2004-06-16T12:37:58Z")
First off, very sorry about your Uncle. Now then, you want a death curse? Tracing back on my mother’s side of the family, every other generation loses their first-born within a few days of birth. Two of my three brothers lost children under a week old (the third brother has opted not to have kids)…my mother had a brother who died at a few days…the same for _her_ mother, and the same for that woman’s mother as well. After that, the records become understandably sketchy. Not the most comforting thought as **kittenlm** and I try to have a baby. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/7 "2004-06-16T13:29:43Z")
> [@Hal Briston](#): > > Not the most comforting thought as **kittenlm** and I try to have a baby. :eek: But come on - there is an upside! I’ve seen the photo thread 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/8 "2004-06-16T14:33:02Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > My advice to you: Don’t buy any green bananas! Sorry, ShaolinRabbit…I didn’t mean to sound unfeeling. I originally read your tone to be one of disattached curiosity…I didn’t realize you knew these people well. I can see I misread it. :smack: I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![kittenlm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ce7236/32.png) [@kittenlm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenlm)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/9 "2004-06-16T18:07:23Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > But come on - there is an upside! I’ve seen the photo thread 😉 :: blush :: ---
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/10 "2004-06-16T18:24:48Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Sorry, ShaolinRabbit…I didn’t mean to sound unfeeling. I originally read your tone to be one of disattached curiosity…I didn’t realize you knew these people well. I can see I misread it. :smack: I apologize. That’s alright, I know them all well, but I’m not heartbroken or anything. Where most people have a relative that they joke about because of their peculiarly bad habits, I have an entire side of the family. They’re the sort of people you figure should get a hollmark card for still being alive. Well, the two that still are. “Congratulations! You’re breathing.” I just found it depressing because I’ve smoked for years (Surprise!) and you figure you can make it to 70 or whatever, but 57?! That would make my life half over… ---
**Author:** ![Shaolinrabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Shaolinrabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shaolinrabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2004, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-death-curse-of-the-family/250588/11 "2004-06-16T18:26:40Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > But come on - there is an upside! I’ve seen the photo thread 😉 Yes, this is a colorful way of saying we’d all like to help 😉 My genes are poison apparently, but hey. 😃 Maybe I should start a “Who wants to have my baby while I’m still alive?” thread…