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Elderly parents
Original poster

How old was your dad when he died?

212 replies

litmuspaper · 11/11/2025 14:11

I posted earlier but didn’t get any responses, my wonderful dad is 81 and I’m starting to think and wrap my head around the fact he’s not got very long left given he has heart disease and seems to be declining.

My colleague said she thought this wasn’t that old, whereas I thought anything above 80 was.

How old was your DF when he died?

OP posts:
zoemum2006 · 11/11/2025 16:56

My MIL died when she was 55 (DH was 13) and my FIL died when he was 87 (DH was 24).

I met him the year afterwards so I never knew my in-laws.

DoAWheelie · 11/11/2025 16:55

68, he died very suddenly in his sleep with no warning.

Rockfordpeach · 11/11/2025 16:53

49 far too young

Giantsandcastle · 11/11/2025 16:51

Fit and very active until he was taken ill suddenly. Three weeks later he was gone. Brain tumour.
Both his parents and his brother all died before 55 of heart attacks or stroke so he did quite well.
It's been two years and I still can't believe he's gone. I'm glad he didn't suffer a long decline but it was just so sudden and still feels unreal.

Stormyday34 · 11/11/2025 16:47

My dad was 55. It was almost 20 years ago and I still miss him!

Libellousness · 11/11/2025 16:47

He was 87. He’d had two forms of cancer in his early to mid 70s, both treated successfully, and then enjoyed about 10 years in fairly good health, but about a year before his death he fell and broke his pelvis, and it was downhill from there.

DH’s dad is still alive at 96.

Mo819 · 11/11/2025 16:46

My df was 65 heart attack my dm went the same way 18 month later.

StewkeyBlue · 11/11/2025 16:45

He’d had a stroke at 83 but was still walking with a stick, enjoying his hobbies etc

schnubbins · 11/11/2025 16:42

My Dad died nearly two years ago aged 89 .He had been unwell for a few years with various ailments and was then discharged home on palliative care which he survived for 8 months .I looked after him with the help of carers at home until he died .My mum had developed Alzheimers during this time and is now in a care home aged 88 .This is so much harder to cope with in my heart .But I appreciate the luck I had in having both my parents for such a long time .I was so so lucky and reading the above posts reaffirms that for me .Some of you lost your dads so young .Life can be so cruel.

Alltheburpees · 11/11/2025 16:40

Ninety four. Fit and independent before simply dying of old age. Miss him so much.

Davros · 11/11/2025 16:36

64

TamarindCottage · 11/11/2025 16:35

My brother was 66 when he died last year, his daughters were 37 and 38. Devastating 😢

Gallusoldbesom · 11/11/2025 16:34

49, bowel cancer, I was 8. However my mum made it to 97.

Vicliz24 · 11/11/2025 16:33

Giddykiddy · 11/11/2025 15:23

35 - murdered - awful time

im so sorry that’s awful

fgswhywouldIdothat · 11/11/2025 16:33

36
Suicide

BerolDryWipe · 11/11/2025 16:32

My Dad died in September, aged 65, he'd had terminal cancer for 3 years.

PeachBlossom1234 · 11/11/2025 16:31

My dad is still here at 78 - so far he's survived a ruptured aortic aneurysm and a fall that left him with a brain injury....my mum died at 60 of lung cancer.

I'm 43 but had breast cancer at 39.....I've been thinking about my own mortality a lot recently. I want to live to be old and see my DD grow up

Vicliz24 · 11/11/2025 16:30

My lovely pop was 63 and 1 day bless him .

minmooch · 11/11/2025 16:29

Dad was 79 but was incapacitated with dementia from age 74. Mum was 70 but was ill for 2 years before that with cancer.

darling son was just 18 from cancer.

im 58 and hoping I’ve got a good few years ahead of me but we never know what’s around the corner.

Lovelyview · 11/11/2025 16:29

Dad was 67 and died of bowel cancer. Mum is 84 and going pretty strong. I think over 80 is definitely in winding down territory. However, her Dad lived to 102 so there's some longevity in the family.

AdoraBell · 11/11/2025 16:28

My father was 72 and mother about 73, maybe 74.

Zov · 11/11/2025 16:28

Such a lot of premature death of parents on here. I am so sorry everyone who lost a parent at a young age. Flowers 😢❤

TamarindCottage · 11/11/2025 16:26

My paternal grandfather was 45, my dad was 89
my maternal grandfather was in his 70s, my mum 80
my FIL was 54, my MIL 85

FlutteryButterfly · 11/11/2025 16:26

JaninaDuszejko · 11/11/2025 15:07

At 81 life expectancy for a man in the UK is 89. That means 50 % of 81 year old men will live to 89 or older. Your Dad has had a long and hopefully happy life.

We all have to die at some point. There's no point worrying about it because you can't change it. Dad died at 71 after a few years of ill heath due to cancer. It does mean I remember him as a fit and healthy man in his 60s rather than how I remember FIL who died at 84 after a long decline.

Interested to see the stats as I thought it was closer to 80?

whatsnewpussycat34 · 11/11/2025 16:25

64 - alcohol related illnesses. Surprised he lived as long as he did to be honest.