If this doesn't beat all, the fifth death of a (old) friend since coming north for the warm season. Perhaps my leaving for Florida next month will stop the madness. His name is Bill and his death was, or is about to be, as bizarre as his life. He was the fraternity brother who ironed his pajamas on weekends in anticipation of getting some chick up to his room during a party. He was the guy who had worked for several slick financial companies in Chicago and other cities around the country doing deals no one should get involved in, at least from the customer side of the equation. He was the guy who spent two years in the slammer because he pissed off one of his many ex wives and was ratted out for tax evasion. In all his craziness he was a fairly cool guy, and handsome as can be. He always reminded me of a young Sean Connery.
I just received the following, second hand from another brother:
Dearest Friends,
It just occurred to me that I should share this information with you. A week ago Bill Willard had a serious choking accident in a restaurant (in San Diego, where he lives.) He excused himself, went to the men's room. After he didn't come out for a long time someone went to look for him and found him passed out on the floor. No idea how much time had elapsed but apparently enough time between the episode and the arrival of medics that he suffered severe brain damage from oxygen deprivation. He has been in a coma ever since. Basically, doctors are not giving him any likelihood of recovery and the options are keeping him alive with a ventilator and feeding tube for who knows how long, or letting him die.
Bill has no family-- no parents, no siblings, no wife, no children--and had given no one a power of attorny over his affairs or health care decisions. I think they found a cousin in Chicago but I don't know if that is close enough for her to have any authority, and besides I think they had had a falling out (like he did with so many of his relationship over the years.) He has a few friends in San Diego who are doing what they can, but they are not in a position, nor would they want to be, to make that decision. So it will be up to an ethics panel at the hospital. Although his friends think he has a lot of money (and he may) it is most likely that he does not but, as usual, he had just been putting on a very good show. I wouldn't be surprised if he has no health insurance. He would be on Medicare if he botherd to sign up, but when I signed up for Medicare myself a few years ago they asked me if I knew his whereabouts because he hadn't paid into Social Security in years and Medicare didn't have him on their rolls.
I have had no contact with him for almost 30 years. None. I didn't even know where he was until just a year or two ago when mutual friends had had a visit from them. Those same friends tracked me down last week to tell me about this and mainly to see if I knew of any "next of kin." I was no help because I couldn't even remember the cousin's name.
I never expected Bill to end up this way. I imagined a number of grim scenarios, but this one is too bizarre. I feel sorry for him, especially how alone he is.
Jinky
I just received the following, second hand from another brother:
Dearest Friends,
It just occurred to me that I should share this information with you. A week ago Bill Willard had a serious choking accident in a restaurant (in San Diego, where he lives.) He excused himself, went to the men's room. After he didn't come out for a long time someone went to look for him and found him passed out on the floor. No idea how much time had elapsed but apparently enough time between the episode and the arrival of medics that he suffered severe brain damage from oxygen deprivation. He has been in a coma ever since. Basically, doctors are not giving him any likelihood of recovery and the options are keeping him alive with a ventilator and feeding tube for who knows how long, or letting him die.
Bill has no family-- no parents, no siblings, no wife, no children--and had given no one a power of attorny over his affairs or health care decisions. I think they found a cousin in Chicago but I don't know if that is close enough for her to have any authority, and besides I think they had had a falling out (like he did with so many of his relationship over the years.) He has a few friends in San Diego who are doing what they can, but they are not in a position, nor would they want to be, to make that decision. So it will be up to an ethics panel at the hospital. Although his friends think he has a lot of money (and he may) it is most likely that he does not but, as usual, he had just been putting on a very good show. I wouldn't be surprised if he has no health insurance. He would be on Medicare if he botherd to sign up, but when I signed up for Medicare myself a few years ago they asked me if I knew his whereabouts because he hadn't paid into Social Security in years and Medicare didn't have him on their rolls.
I have had no contact with him for almost 30 years. None. I didn't even know where he was until just a year or two ago when mutual friends had had a visit from them. Those same friends tracked me down last week to tell me about this and mainly to see if I knew of any "next of kin." I was no help because I couldn't even remember the cousin's name.
I never expected Bill to end up this way. I imagined a number of grim scenarios, but this one is too bizarre. I feel sorry for him, especially how alone he is.
Jinky