• CallMeAl (like Alan)@piefed.zip
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    2 days ago

    That was my father.

    At 80 he went to teaching only one class so he could keep his office and spend the rest of his time doing what he wanted.

    At 90 he finally retired. He wrote dozens or articles and finally left us in Jan this year at 92. The last day he was alive, he dictated a book review to me he had promised to a journal. His final wish, that I type it up and send it in for him and let them know he would not be able to take on any more book reviews.

    • definitemaybe@lemmy.ca
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      1 day ago

      I hope this doesn’t come off as callous:

      What an epic mic drop of your father’s. That’s like something out of a novel/film.

      He sounds like a super hoopy frood. Sorry for your loss.

      • CallMeAl (like Alan)@piefed.zip
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        1 day ago

        Thank you.

        He was one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever known. He rarely complained about anything. He spent every minute he could doing what he loved, researching and publishing. He wrote several books include an award winner. He won a Lifetime Achievement award from a prestigious body in his field at 84. He just kept going. At 86 he had nearly lost his eyesight but a doctor was able to restore partial vision, enough for him to continue his work and I never saw him happier. He did what he loved until his last waking moments. Then he closed his eyes and went to sleep, I imagine finally able to relax, all his commitments settled. I hope I get to go out the same way.