People dying in their fifties and sixties?

[antelopevalley]

I know the stats around life expectancy, but I am finding it mentally hard that so many people I know have died in their fifties and sixties. A few were expected e.g. colleague who was a functional alcoholic, but so many were not expected. A marathon runner who was very fit. A slim and active woman who died of cancer. Another woman who was sporty who died of a rare lung infection. etc etc.

I really do not expect this as I got older. It makes me afraid and makes me worry my partner could die at any time.

Im 49 my mother died aged 77, my granny died 82 if I’m average I’ll be dead in 30 years or so, I’ve still got 19 years of that working!!!! Ain’t long really

Thanks, that's super depressing!

My family lost two 18 year old. One to an accident & one to a genetic illness. My Grandad lived till his 80th and from about 50 used to say every Christmas it was probably his last.

No-one knows what is going to happen.

I was going through exactly that thought process earlier today. I decided to gamble that the state pension doesn't evaporate, after all it's the oldies that vote them all in!

My grandad died at 66 in 1993 - no-one said "he was too young to die" because that was pretty much standard for working class men, especially ex-miners, back then.

His sister was 55 when she died.
In the last few years, amongst family, colleagues and neighbours, people I knew have died at 32, 51, 62, 64, 68,70 and 71.

Living to your eighties or nineties is really not guaranteed. I see people on here claiming that 60 is not old and I just shake my head. Yes, yes it is, actually...

My Dad died at age 44.

I lost two very good friends recently, both male, one aged 48 and one 51. Due to different forms of cancer.

Two friends committed suicide, once aged 31 and one 48.

Another friend lost her 16-day old baby.

It happens. And when it does, you need to deal with it and help those who need help. Unfortunately, we don't live in Disneyland. I'm not sure what you're posting for, to be honest, as no losses seem to have actually happened in your life.

Who wants to live to 90 and dement?
Far better to die slightly younger rather than to get dementia- Which seems alarmingly common.
Genetics I think play a big role in longevity- or not.

When I was a very young adult three family members died at 53, 59 and 53. It bashed me a bit. I wasn't clinically depressed but I was a bit low and found work a great comfort, being busy all day long. I've outstripped them.
There aren't any guarantees for any of us.

Op I no it’s all part of a scary world at the moment.I think lots of people kinda and thoughts are spiralling in certain directions with the uncertainty and fear going round.
but stress,being anxious and fretting is linked to illnesss too.and linked to onset of certain miseries.that won’t help you stay well.nor live like you must to enjoy what you have.
not that easy I know.

Miners, Ship builders, proper hard graft that wore men out.
Breathing in coal dust and asbestos-
So wrong.

God this is depressing. I'm early 50s and currently on holiday. But this post has just made me book a second stupidly expensive day in a private cabana as I might be dead next week therefore there's no point me saving my money!

What is the point of this thread- it's just everyone listing people they know who died young from I have read?

We are all less likely to die young than we would have been in the past so it's all good- some die younger, some die older, some live for bloody ages- there's no point obsessing about it- it might be what finishes you off!

My life recently has been full of losses. So many people have died.

When I was working in pensions it was not unusual to lose clients in this age group.

It's the age when lifestyle factors and the genetic lottery start to catch up with you. Get past 70 and the chances of a long life start to increase.

Yes my grandad was 66 and no one said too young. Northern and worked in a hard industry. He’d only just retired his apprentices came to funeral.
My Dad was just turned 62.

Well, I believe it is largely a myth in so far as when you look at life span. Life expectancy has increased because infant and child mortality has decreased due to better maternity care and mass immunisations.

But people lived into their 80s, 90s and even 100s even in ancient times:

www.bbc.com/future/article/20181002-how-long-did-ancient-people-live-life-span-versus-longevity

...simplified as of course the way we have access to healthcare and medicines/treatments more broadly also help but perhaps are counteracted by our issues around pollution, stress and obesity.

So use it op.use it to live every day you can with as much joy as you can.
dwelling on them and the loss will only be your own loss now too.

I was actually thinking the same thing the other day. I'm early 30s and a lot of people around my age have lost parents recently and it scares me. Mine are late 50s.

@kateandme I really don't need advice you would find in an inspirational meme. You might think you are being helpful, but you are just coming across as extremely patronising. Really I am not stupid.

My mum died at 53 and her mum died when she was in her 60,s, grandparents on dad's side are in their 90s.
Looked onto my family tree, mums side all died young, especially the women so was quite hard to track. Paternal grandads side all lived into old age, on one census from 1890's was a lady in her 80's which was very old back then.

I had friends and family that have died in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. None of my grandparents made it past 70. That’s why I always celebrate milestone birthdays and refuse to pretend to be younger than I am.

My life recently has been full of losses. So many people have died.

I sorry to hear that. Can you talk to people about how you feel?

Ask your GP for a ref for counselling (I did and it helped me just learning coping mechanisms).

Eat healthily and exercise. It will get easier with time, I promise. But you can also be proactive about it.

Take care of yourself.

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy Thank you. That made me a bit tearful.

@purfectpuss

What is the point of this thread- it's just everyone listing people they know who died young from I have read?

Well, aren't you just a pile of empathy...