How old was your dad when he died?

[litmuspaper]

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?

57, I was 16.

63, of MND. We had 5 months with him from diagnosis to him passing, the decline was that fast

only 48 - 5 years older than I am now. Quite sobering. He was a very unwell man though, heavy smoker and alcoholic. Multiple cancer diagnoses.

65. Heavy smoker sadly.

My dad was 95. I am now 70 and have 3 older brothers 75, 76 and 78 with partners of similar age. They are all still healthy and cognitively 'all there'. I also have a cousin, who is 81, she has been in the grip of dementia for at least 10 years. Whilst, objectively age is not 'just a number ' to an extent it is. I also had an older sister who died at 45. We all age but we all age, a bit, differently.

So many factors (not least genetics and lifestyle but not solely them either) affect our longevity and wellbeing within that life span.
It is impossible to make meaningful comparisons with random strangers

78 (heart failure) I was 38.
DHs was 68 (cancer) and he was also 38.

The mothers are 81 and 74 and both in pretty good health for their ages.

I count anything over 80 as pretty good going.

My dad was 66, he had oesophageal cancer, in the September he'd helped me move house , carried all my boxes as usual, but he was gone by November, it was so quick. I was 25.

My mum is 81 and still going strong, a bit frail, deaf, but she's still pretty active and interested in stuff (well tennis mainly!)

Mine was 49 - heart attack

I lost my dear dad in the summer and he had just turned 80. When he turned 80 I suddenly started to feel he was living on borrowed time as he had aged a lot since late 70s but his sudden death was still an awful shock. I oscillate between being so thankful that I had him for so long and thinking that getting to 80 was a pretty good innings really and that he didn’t suffer. Reading some of the stories make me feel this more so. Then I have moments when I think of my grandparents who lived to late 90s and feel cheated out of another potentially 15 years. But I imagine for many that once you get to late 80s generally life gets more difficult - We all want them around as long as possible but we equally don’t want them to suffer - hard to balance these thoughts as our loved ones age.

both parents still alive aged 83 and 84.
My grandparents lived until 92, 92, and 78 (but she died of lung cancer after years as a heavy smoker)

So genetically it is not a surprise that they are long lived.
I think over 80 is a good age. I expect mine to get to 90.

The sad thing is that I will never be ready to lose them as I am close to them.

75 but had Parkinson’s and diabetes and was generally very unhealthy.

67 my Granddad due to a heart problem. He was my father figure & best friend we did everything together, i was 17 at the time.

90, I think he had just had enough.

My dad was 63.
FIL is still going at 86.

My dad was 92, my step dad was 91. My mum is 87 and still alive.

My dad was 70 when he died and I was 39 at that time. When Mum died at the age of 92, I was 61.

86

59, he didn't have a healthy life and just dropped dead one day very suddenly.

Mine is still here at 91, diabetic, a little frail but mentally sharp as a tack. Living independently with 89 year old DM, and still driving, too. All his siblings died in their 70s of smoking related causes. I'm sure he's only still here because he stopped smoking in his 40s and because DM looks after his diet so well.

for all those who lost their dads too soon

My dad was 49 when he passed away he had heart diesese and had 10 heart attacks over the space of 5 years. He needed a heart transplant but never lived long enough to recieve one.

Mine was 89 and was active and well up until a couple of months prior to his death. He had a far more active social life than I did!

62

Similar for me. My dad died suddenly at 60 only 2 and a half years after his own dad died at 88.

47 😔 Liver failure from alcoholism.

58 He took his own life.