<p>My husband graduated college in 1980, from the private college in my hometown, 90 minutes from his hometown. Like many of his classmates, he stayed in our city. They remained close, as they worked together at the college radio station, and those that moved out of town, either back to their own hometowns, or new cities, would often come to visit our city, a popular tourist destination. Today, the guys get back together to attend the wake of one of their own. Only 58 years old, and in the best shape of all of them, our dear friend went quickly of a massive heart attack. Despite immediate CPR by a nurse neighbor and quick arrival of EMT, he was unable to be revived. He leaves behind a widow, two children, and one grandson. It has not hit my husband yet. Hoping for any advice, comfort I can give him. I am a few years younger than him, did not go to the same college as him, but knew these guys from visits, and the deceased and his former girlfriend and my husband actually used to double date often before we were married. I never was close to his new wife or his family. Devastating, as we are now reaching the age where we are burying our friends.</p>
<p>I’m so sorry for your loss. </p>
<p>Yea, several of H’s friends, relatives and classmates have died. I ask him whether he wants me to attend services when he’s going and then just try to be supportive when he’s pretty reflective over the next few days. </p>
<p>It was particularly tough when 4 of his close coworkers all died in a auto accident and left young children as orphans. </p>
<p>We have tried to spend more quality time with loved ones, especially our sibs and my folks because we can’t know what the future will being. </p>
<p>Sorry to hear of your loss. The only advice I can give is to let him talk about his friend and the times they shared.</p>
<p>There is nothing more certain than death, nothing more uncertain than the hour of death. Sorry for your loss. My cousin just died day before Thanksgiving from ALS after 18 month battle. He was way too young to die.</p>
<p>So sorry for your husband’s loss. It harder to take when a person is in the prime of life.<br>
Also frightening because it makes you think “could of been me”.</p>
<p>Our S2 lost his two best friends in a car wreck one month after they graduated from high sch. S2 was following them…saw the whole thing and called 911. It was horrific. S2 was very stoic and did not want to talk about it a lot. I think he talked more with his friends than with us. We did not push him. He was pretty depressed first semester of freshman yr… all but failed out. </p>
<p>Three years later, S2’s college freshman/soph. roommate (also a high sch. friend) was run over and killed in our town by a drunken driver after a fight in the parking lot. S2 was away doing an internship but came home for the funeral. Again, he was very quiet about it. Just kept saying “how could he be so stupid?”. </p>
<p>So, yes…if he wants to talk, be there to listen but if he doesn’t want to talk, don’t try to force it. It’s been years since all that happened (S2 is now 25, graduated fr, college, working, sharing a house with friends) but I know he still thinks about those guys and always will. </p>
<p>My husband’s best friend died suddenly almost 6 years ago at 51.
He had known him since high school. Outside of friends who died in their late teens/ early 20’s, I haven’t lost any friends for a while.
Several of my friends are in the 60’s & 70’s, but then their mothers are still around, so they have good genes!</p>
<p>Sorry for your/your H’s loss. We remain close to our college friends, and we have not lost any of them at this point. But two of my very good friends from when the kids were little passed away from cancer. My younger brother passed away 5 years ago. I don’t like this part of getting old. It was bad enough to lose my parents (lost H’s aunt yesterday …). It is extra hard to lose people my own age; it drives home the point that we are mortal in a big way.</p>
<p>I am so sorry.
A HS classmate of mine passed away last week. The 4th classmate we lost in the last year and a half. </p>
<p>I am so sorry for your H’s loss of an old friend. </p>
<p>Two of my closest friends from college have died. One from AIDS (he did live 20 years or so after diagnosis) and a girlfriend from Malignant Myeloma about 10 years ago. It is tough when we all get together and they are not there, but also good that we have each other to share memories of our friends and the good times we had together. </p>