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Original poster

To ask what age you would say is no longer dying young

383 replies

Whyohwhy88 · 01/01/2026 19:35

Although hard still I feel from 80 onwards it’s expected

OP posts:
Daaaaahling · 01/01/2026 20:08

Under 50 to "die young"

But anything before 75 definitely feels unfortunate / premature

stichguru · 01/01/2026 20:08

I'd say 80 onwards although I do think ages are different. I feel that my 74 year father died young, but I certainly have different feelings about his death then those of my best friend aged 42 and my sister in law aged 39. Now they truly died young.

Maybe it's more about why you died. My DF and my SIL both had horrendous battles against cancer, while my best friends battled a life shortening neurological condition. While my father was much older than the other 2, I think I might have felt less like he died young, if he'd passed suddenly in his sleep of "old age" (but younger than many) rather than undergone a cancer battle. Watching my friend lose everything (speech, swallowing etc) slowly over a number of years, hammered home the fact she was dying young.

Glowingup · 01/01/2026 20:07

Chasingsquirrels · 01/01/2026 20:00

I think, in the timescale of an average life, that 40 is towards the end of the young range.

A "young person" would generally refer to a non-adult though, which is a different thing.

Edited
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Nobody classes a 40 year old as a young person. Or a 45 year old. It’s middle aged. But dying at that age is very young to die. So is 50 and 60.

AndSoitComesAroundAgain · 01/01/2026 20:03

ObsidianTree · 01/01/2026 20:00

Id say old enough to have experienced at least 10 years of retirement. So 75+. 80 for those that will have to work until they are 67+.

I don't understand how work and retirement length connects with the ge of death being too young?

Purplewarrior · 01/01/2026 20:03

I am 60.

budgiegirl · 01/01/2026 20:02

I'd say 80 onwards. My dad died at 78 that felt way too soon, and I felt quite cheated.
My mum died at 93, and while that is definitely advanced years, she lived life to the full, and at one point I thought she'd live forever, so it still felt too soon.

ByPoisedRaven · 01/01/2026 20:02

It depends. A family member of mine got to 40. They had a medical condition where it was a miracle they even saw their teens, so I don't consider them having died young. I think they were very lucky for their situation.

For your average person, I think anything under 80 is young. 85+ I feel they had a good innings. 70-80, shame they didn't get a bit longer. Under 70, young.

ObsidianTree · 01/01/2026 20:00

Id say old enough to have experienced at least 10 years of retirement. So 75+. 80 for those that will have to work until they are 67+.

Chasingsquirrels · 01/01/2026 20:00

Glowingup · 01/01/2026 19:58

Well 40 isn’t young either is it? But it’s very young to die. So is 65. Dying young doesn’t mean that you die at an age where you are classed as a “young person”.

Show quote history

I think, in the timescale of an average life, that 40 is towards the end of the young range.

A "young person" would generally refer to a non-adult though, which is a different thing.

Glowingup · 01/01/2026 20:00

wherethewaterisdarker · 01/01/2026 19:59

I would say 40+
Once you are in middle age, you are not “young”. You may be dying very early on average for our society, but you are not a young person who has died young.

Errr I think most people would class a person in their 40s dying as dying young

wherethewaterisdarker · 01/01/2026 19:59

I would say 40+
Once you are in middle age, you are not “young”. You may be dying very early on average for our society, but you are not a young person who has died young.

isargosaword · 01/01/2026 19:58

Also with the average age to have children climbing, if most people have a baby in their mid 30s then first-time grandparents will be around 70+, if not a bit older, when their grandchild is a new baby- all the more reason for 75 not to seem old enough to go.

Glowingup · 01/01/2026 19:58

Chasingsquirrels · 01/01/2026 19:44

But it still isn't "young".

My late-DH was 58 when he died, that felt like dying younger than expected. But not dying young, which would be 40's and earlier to me.

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Well 40 isn’t young either is it? But it’s very young to die. So is 65. Dying young doesn’t mean that you die at an age where you are classed as a “young person”.

Waitingfordoggo · 01/01/2026 19:58

My parents died at 65 and 66. I wouldn’t use the word ‘young’ when talking about their deaths, but I did feel they were gone a bit too soon and would have hoped and expected for another 20 years for them.

SouthernNights59 · 01/01/2026 19:57

85 +

I see a lot of deaths of people in their 70s in the newspaper and that feels too young as I have friends in that age group who still seem "young" to me. Even 80 isn't really old these days.

Echobelly · 01/01/2026 19:57

After about 70, I would say.

@Chasingsquirrels makes a good point though as well

hourspassed · 01/01/2026 19:57

I'd say 80 plus but then I have SIL who is 81 this year and BIL is 80 next year and they are just not old! The older you get the less reasonable it becomes tbh. But I think 80s is a fair old crack at life so you can't really complain.

Sparklesandspandexgallore · 01/01/2026 19:56

75+

frecklejuice · 01/01/2026 19:56

I was going to say 80 but my fil is 85 and if he died tomorrow it would feel far too early because he still seems so “young”.

GreenPoms · 01/01/2026 19:55

Chasingsquirrels · 01/01/2026 19:44

But it still isn't "young".

My late-DH was 58 when he died, that felt like dying younger than expected. But not dying young, which would be 40's and earlier to me.

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Nobody is saying that it means the person is young, just that it’s too young to die.

Clefable · 01/01/2026 19:55

My mum was 69 and that felt ‘too soon’. I think 80 is a good age to make it to, 75-80 a greyer area and below 75 sooner than would be expected nowadays.

Hufflemuff · 01/01/2026 19:55

I was going to say anything under 55 is dying young... but ive been humbled by all the other comments saying 80+ 🤣🤣🤣

isargosaword · 01/01/2026 19:54

My nan was 75 and it definitely felt like she was too young. In her early 70s she was still completely independent, she drove everywhere, helped with grandchildren, dressed stylishly, always had perfect hair and makeup, had lots of energy and a busy social life. I also have relatives who are in their early 90s which made her seem young in comparison I suppose.

CornedBeef451 · 01/01/2026 19:53

Its a tough one because I think it depends on the person. My aunt died a few weeks ago at 89 and that seemed too soon. She was full of life until she wasn’t.

Flickaflock · 01/01/2026 19:52

Chasingsquirrels · 01/01/2026 19:44

But it still isn't "young".

My late-DH was 58 when he died, that felt like dying younger than expected. But not dying young, which would be 40's and earlier to me.

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Language is flexible. OP clearly meant ‘young’ in the sense of ‘premature.’

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