Another good one lost... (1 Viewer)

[SteveGon]

I recently found out that a former co-worker passed away last December at the age of 28. Her name was Ann Wigdahl. I never had a relationship with her (though I often wish I had) and hadn't seen her in probably three years. Still, the news of her death saddened me greatly. I know it's a cliche to say this of the dead, but I remember Ann as being a genuinely nice person. Out of the literally hundreds of people I've worked with over the years, she is one of the few that stand out in my memory. I even went so far as to look up her obituary. I discovered that in the years since I'd last seen her, she'd graduated from college with a degree in chemistry. She was attending medical school at OSU and working with autistic children. I can't recall offhand the affliction that ended her life, but it really doesn't matter. She's gone and the world is less for it. We never got to know each other very well, but she'll be missed nonetheless...

 

[Holadem]

You know, I am almost 25 and I have never really dealt with death. I know many people who died (including 2 grandparents, a few cousins and a couple of friend's friends) but they never were really close to me ==> I never really missed them. I dread the day I have to deal with something like that. However, I have only seen too many people go through that - only last week I was at the funeral of one of my good friend's father.

Sorry to hear about Ann, 28 is waaaaaaayyy to young to be gone :frowning:.

--
Holadem

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

My father died when I was 8 and my mother when I was 22. Those are some very sad memories. My condolences.

 

[Todd Hochard]

You know, I am almost 25 and I have never really dealt with death.

I often think that it's worse, the later in life you are forced to face this.
I've been around death pretty much my whole life. I remember vaguely my great-grandparents passing (they lived next door to my grandparents, who I lived with at the time) when I was 3. Then, my mother (she was 26) a month before my 5th birthday (I have a very vivid memory of this- I'm grateful that my Dad/grandparents didn't shield me). My grandfather (mother's father) six months later. Several years passed, then my grandmother in my teens, another grandmother in my early 20s, then my other grandfather in my late 20s. Several friends have died over the years (including SIX- count 'em- suicides, one just three weeks ago), including one I had the "privilege" of watching bounce off a telephone pole at 90mph.

To me, it isn't terribly important to consider what they didn't get to contribute to the world, but what they did. Consider that there are scores of people who live to be 3x Ann's age, and spend nearly that entire time making everyone's lives miserable. Ann's legacy will last long beyond her years. You are testament to that. Best wishes to you.

Todd

 

[SteveGon]

Guys, thanks for the kind words. As I stated in my first post, I never got to know Ann as well as I would have liked, and it had been some time since I'd last talked to her, but she made an indelible impression on me simply by being the kind and upbeat person that she was. Having lost my father and an uncle in the last three years, I'm no stranger to death, but Ann's struck me in a way I hadn't expected. I can still remember her smile and laughter and it pains me to know that she's gone.

Consider that there are scores of people who live to be 3x Ann's age, and spend nearly that entire time making everyone's lives miserable.

I can vouch for that. I've had the displeasure of working with quite a few worthless individuals over the years and it smarts when I think that they're still out there wasting space (to put it bluntly) when people like Ann are taken prematurely. What a damn shame. But that's the way it goes. :frowning:

 

[Jefferson]

This thread really got me.
I have lost my mom,
and my twin brother.
Yes, it hurts...even when it isnt family.
Sometimes the least likely people are the ones
who really touch your life.

 

[SteveGon]

Sometimes the least likely people are the ones
who really touch your life.

How very true.

 

[Scott_lb]

My step-brother died in the summer of 2001 and although I wasn't close to him, I was shocked at how difficult it was to work through it. He was 37.

I hope I'm not being inappropriate here, but can I ask how Anne died?

Please let me know if I'm in the wrong for asking this.

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Last week one of my coworkers died suddenly of heart failure. He was only 29 and seemed to be in good health.