Oldest person that you knew personally & their quality of life

[Trek420]

My moms best friend is 93, she lives here in the town where we moved in FL and up until two weeks ago was doing well. We all went out to lunch and had a fun time, she enjoyed her cocktail and crab sandwich. She had a stroke last Thursday and was moved to hospice yesterday, I will miss her so much.

I'm sorry to hear that. My mom passed away last year suddenly at 91. The day she died she was ready to go out with friends to one of her many activist causes. One of her passions was peace in the Middle East and cooperation between the cultures. While we're Jewish she had a Muslim Imam AND a Rabbi preside at her memorial.

While she always complained that she was slowing down, but since she was still sharper and more active than any of us we were glad to be able to keep up. Sure she'd sometimes repeat stories but stayed a sharp as a tack.

Gardening, raising holy hell with her peace activist friends, solving the outrageously difficult crossword puzzles in The Nation (try them sometime. I can't even get one word), avid reading and some walking kept her mentally and physically fit.

She'd been diagnosed with a heart aneurysm years ago, one which could go suddenly at any time and that'd be it. Very sudden. And I remember her saying the last time we visited that it's not a bad way to go. Considering the slow decline of many of her peers. Her doctor recommended surgery which could solve the situation but would require at least a year recovery in assisted living.

With no assurance that she'd be back to living independently she chose to just soldier on.

She stopped driving but stopped virtually nothing else. Would that we all could do the same.