Coworker passed away last night

[hypernova]

This serves as a reminder to everybody that your time to go could be right around the corner.

Brent was in his late 40s.  Very nice person.  We're in a small warehouse, so we all know each other reasonably well.  A few weeks ago, he came down with pneumonia, and he was at work for a day just two weeks ago.  He was then admitted to the hospital.

While there, they found multiple masses in his lungs.  He smoked a lot, and I'm not sure whether they verified whether it was the smoking.

Well, that's not the only thing.  Whatever happened, somehow the cancer apparently spread to his brain.  He could not breathe on his own, and last night they decided to pull the ventilator.  He passed away sometime thereafter.

Unfortunately, he leaves behind a son that is approaching, or already is teenage.

Obviously since I don't have all the details, I wasn't as close as some, and perhaps that's a plus in this scenario, but it still sucks to see such a nice guy pass away and leave a son behind.  His ex will now be the caregiver...and she's not exactly the best choice from what he always said.  He was given full custody in the first place if that gives you any clue as to what kind of person she is.

Well, life goes on, I suppose.

[garnerb350]

Damn.... prayers go out to em...

[drventure]

A guy was given full custody? Ouch. My prayers go out to that kid.

[saint]

Make your plans known.

Write a will.

Good advice. However,

Everyone in the funeral industry is a crook - no exceptions.

The vast majority of blanket statements are false.

[saint]

How about you bury some immediate family and get back to us?

My mother died a little over 2 years ago.

[ark_ader]

How about you bury some immediate family and get back to us?

My mother died a little over 2 years ago.

My step Dad smoked a lot and he went the same way.

Sucks, but teaches you a lesson not to smoke. That didn't help my Step-Dad as back in the day - they said smoking was good for you.

He was an aircraft engineer instructor for BAC.  The nicest guy in the world.

Could have been the jet fuel....

We are all dying.

[DillonFoulds]

My step Dad smoked a lot and he went the same way.

Cremation?

I'm not overly sure anything people tell us to (not)eat, (not)do, etc. etc. etc. is ever really the best long term idea. Sure maybe the big thing now is pro-biotic yogurts, but who's to say it's not actually lower immune systems or god knows what?

I'm not sure anything can be set in stone when it comes to nutrition, but something like smoking you would think would be glaringly obvious to be unhealthy. Just look at the butt end of a cigarette before and after smoking. To think that even a little bit wasn't slipping into your lungs from each and every smoke is ludicrous.

[ark_ader]

Yes he was cremated.

My grandmother smoked when she was 14 until 82, and when she was 80 she smoked 60 a day.  Go figure.

[TOK]

My step Dad smoked a lot and he went the same way.

Sucks, but teaches you a lesson not to smoke. That didn't help my Step-Dad as back in the day - they said smoking was good for you.

He was an aircraft engineer instructor for BAC.  The nicest guy in the world.

Could have been the jet fuel....

We are all dying.

When my dad was in the service they also encouraged smoking. They told you to sit and have a smoke and think about things if you ran into a problem. Guys would be rationed cigarettes and cigars, but run out of cigarettes first. My dad started smoking cigars because he could trade his meager cigarette rations for enough cigars to last the whole month.

He's still plugging along fine and pretty much did everything thats bad for you. Drinking, smoking, racing cars, racing motorcycles and eating awful food. I don't smoke, but I'm pretty much on board with the rest of his bad habits. I only hope I'm as lucky!

[Gray_Area]

A lot of people live awfully long, considering how they abuse their bodies. But they often don't do things more exhausting than walking down the street.

[boykster]

The sister of one of my childhood friends was killed last friday in a head-on crash with a drunk driver.  She was wearing her seatbelt and died hours after the accident, the drunk driver wasn't wearing his belt and was pronounced dead at the scene.  She was 44.   

[shmokes]

How about you bury some immediate family and get back to us?

Presumably this would only give him experience with a single mortuary.  I'd think he'd have to bury a lot more people than that to conclude that every single person in the funeral industry is a crook.   

[hypernova]

It had been awhile since I had heard anyone talk of his family.  He had TWO children.  15 yo son, about 10 yo daughter.

Custody has NOT been worked out yet, either.

Learned that last night at the memorial.

[SirPeale]

Make your plans known.

Write a will.

Everyone in the funeral industry is a crook - no exceptions.

I'm actually blessed to know an exception to that rule.  A guy I went to school with watched others get fleeced by the funeral industry and opened his on cremation service.  What he doesn't make up in up-front costs he makes up in volume because he's /very/ reasonable.

[NightGod]

Make your plans known.

Write a will.

Everyone in the funeral industry is a crook - no exceptions.

My best friend's father is a former funeral director/mortician. He was amazingly successful simply because he wasn't a crook and the city we live in is small enough for that to matter. The woman who took over for him (the daughter of his former partner) when he retired, on the other hand, I wouldn't trust to bury my cat without padding the bill.

[Rando]

I'm not sure anything can be set in stone when it comes to nutrition, but something like smoking you would think would be glaringly obvious to be unhealthy. Just look at the butt end of a cigarette before and after smoking. To think that even a little bit wasn't slipping into your lungs from each and every smoke is ludicrous.

[jamesjones626]

I know someone who smokes like a pack or 2 a day, and he will not eat bbq food cooked on charcoal because it causes cancer.  I thought he was joking the first time he said this considering that he smokes like a burning house, but nope he won't touch that food.