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milestogo

(21,277 posts)
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 07:32 PM Apr 2025

One of my neighbors retired a few weeks ago.

This morning she died. Relatives could not reach her and it turned out she had died in her sleep overnight. I don't know the cause.

She was excited about life after retirement.

I guess none of us really knows how long we have, so we have to cherish every day.

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One of my neighbors retired a few weeks ago. (Original Post) milestogo Apr 2025 OP
What a shame. I hope she had a good life. RIP Fla Dem Apr 2025 #1
She loved gardening and had a half dozen bird houses milestogo Apr 2025 #4
Persactly. cachukis Apr 2025 #2
That is so sad Alephy Apr 2025 #3
I've seen this happen far to often - nm ThoughtCriminal Apr 2025 #5
In my younger days as a gov't. pension dept. worker Gordcanuck Apr 2025 #17
I don't know if that's true or not LogDog75 Apr 2025 #26
My Dad was a career Army officer sdfernando Apr 2025 #29
Me too. I help current employees transition into retirement as part of my job. There's at least 10 instances I can beaglelover Apr 2025 #28
I'm so sorry! Hope22 Apr 2025 #6
it doesn't mean she didn't enjoy working Skittles Apr 2025 #7
So glad I'm out! wolfie001 Apr 2025 #8
same Skittles Apr 2025 #9
Wow! I worked about 46 or so wolfie001 Apr 2025 #22
OK I did count some entry level "lean years" Skittles Apr 2025 #30
As long as you were collecting a paycheck, you were working! wolfie001 Apr 2025 #32
"Time is a gift so precious we are given only one moment of it at a time." n/t TygrBright Apr 2025 #10
I like that! So apt! nt wolfie001 Apr 2025 #23
How sad. May she rest in peace. I hope she enjoyed life. LoisB Apr 2025 #11
... SheltieLover Apr 2025 #12
Were you friends? PJMcK Apr 2025 #13
Why would his wife not be allowed XanaDUer2 Apr 2025 #14
I'm not Jewish so the laws are not my speciality PJMcK Apr 2025 #15
Geez thats sad Figarosmom Apr 2025 #16
Very sad. Thank goodness she had had things she enjoyed. electric_blue68 Apr 2025 #18
Only retired for a few weeks. That's just unfair. She should have enjoyed her birds/Birdhouse for a few years. chouchou Apr 2025 #19
I have 5 birdhouses on my balcony, and right now three of them are occupied. milestogo Apr 2025 #20
Sounds wonderful. I've got 2 bird houses, each on a 10 ft 4 in pvc pipe on my property. chouchou Apr 2025 #24
It's amazing how quickly they put together a nest. milestogo Apr 2025 #25
That is so sad. I have seen others that waited too long Emile Apr 2025 #21
I expect that to be me, quite honestly TexasBushwhacker Apr 2025 #27
The other side of the coin is soldierant Apr 2025 #31

milestogo

(21,277 posts)
4. She loved gardening and had a half dozen bird houses
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 07:38 PM
Apr 2025

so she was outside a lot. I think she did have a good life. She had people who will miss her.

Gordcanuck

(114 posts)
17. In my younger days as a gov't. pension dept. worker
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 10:00 PM
Apr 2025

I did indeed note a higher than “normal” number of federal retirees expiring 12 to 16 months after leaving. It was unexplained, even after becoming a known statistic. Either the work was stultifying or too stressful to endure , I thought.
So to beat the rap I left, resolved never to work as a “fonctionnaire” again. I’m now 77 and I don’t regret having a varied but sometimes insecure existence thereafter.
Gord🇨🇦

LogDog75

(626 posts)
26. I don't know if that's true or not
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 01:02 PM
Apr 2025

I've heard the same thing said about military retirees that many die within a couple of years after retiring. I think it's more of an urban legend than actual fact. I retired from the AF in January of 2003 and worked for the VA a couple of months before deciding to permanently retire at age 53. Twenty-two years later I'm still alive and kicking.

I firmly believe each person, biologically, has a natural end date. For some it's in their 50s or 60s and others it's in their 70s or 80s. What that date for each of us is is unknown but we don't need to do things that shorten that date.

sdfernando

(5,800 posts)
29. My Dad was a career Army officer
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 06:36 PM
Apr 2025

Retired after 30 years, if you include his stint as a postal worker before the Army. He lived to be 95yo, so was retired from the Army for 46 years, which is longer than the time he was in.

beaglelover

(4,306 posts)
28. Me too. I help current employees transition into retirement as part of my job. There's at least 10 instances I can
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 02:19 PM
Apr 2025

think of off the top of my head, where an executive who retired after many years of service died in the first 2 years of retirement. Not sure what causes this. Many of these people had high powered careers so maybe they have trouble transitioning to a not so powerful person and it causes them depression or something. It is very sad.

Hope22

(4,053 posts)
6. I'm so sorry!
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 07:53 PM
Apr 2025

I wonder how many people have had crazy stress watching their retirement funds disappear. I have a friend who is retiring next month and this market administration is making her crazy. The stress is off the chart!

Skittles

(165,955 posts)
30. OK I did count some entry level "lean years"
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 07:10 PM
Apr 2025

total full time military and corporate = 47 years

PJMcK

(23,901 posts)
13. Were you friends?
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 09:13 PM
Apr 2025

Our neighbor died a couple of years ago. He and his wife, with whom we are still close friends, were wonderful neighbors who were long-time immigrants from Latvia. He was a successful financial advisor and she is an amazing mother, home maker, gourmet chef and a terrific gardener.

The gentleman and I played many rounds of golf together and he provided tons of advice and perspectives. He died suddenly and because his son is an Orthodox Jew, neither we nor his wife were permitted to pay our respects. Those are the rules we were asked to respect which, of course, we complied. Disappointing but we shared our solace with his widow.

It's very sad as we get older and people in our lives pass on. It reminds me that we only get one chance at this life so we must make the most of it.

Peace.

PJMcK

(23,901 posts)
15. I'm not Jewish so the laws are not my speciality
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 09:38 PM
Apr 2025

She tearfully told us that there is a traditional Jewish law, probably from the Torah (sort of the Old Testament to Christians) that the widow is restricted for one year after the deceased had passed. My personal opinion is that this is probably intended to help the widow grieve but in our friend's case, it caused the opposite and increased her grief. To be clear, I am not Jewish so I cannot intelligently discuss Jewish laws. But I do know that our neighbors are very good people and it pained us to see her in such pain.

Again, I am not a theologian so I cannot comment intelligently about Jewish Law. On the other hand, I am an atheist so all religious rules are anathema to me. Still, as a pacifist, it's not my place to judge others' beliefs or practices. They just have zero impact on my life except when they affect or hurt my friends.

Perhaps there's someone on DU who can provide more information.

chouchou

(2,129 posts)
19. Only retired for a few weeks. That's just unfair. She should have enjoyed her birds/Birdhouse for a few years.
Sun Apr 13, 2025, 10:22 PM
Apr 2025

milestogo

(21,277 posts)
20. I have 5 birdhouses on my balcony, and right now three of them are occupied.
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 02:18 AM
Apr 2025

This is the first time I've ever done this. Its a thrill to see them make their nests and have little ones!

chouchou

(2,129 posts)
24. Sounds wonderful. I've got 2 bird houses, each on a 10 ft 4 in pvc pipe on my property.
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 10:09 AM
Apr 2025

Love to see them coming and going.

milestogo

(21,277 posts)
25. It's amazing how quickly they put together a nest.
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 10:16 AM
Apr 2025

And once the chicks are born they are up and out pretty quickly!

TexasBushwhacker

(20,926 posts)
27. I expect that to be me, quite honestly
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 01:12 PM
Apr 2025

I'm 68 and still working full time. I like working, but if I had enough savings that retire, I'm probably would. I just don't. My mother taught math in public schools for 21 years. She retired as soon as she was eligible, at age 60. She retired at the end of May, 1994 and was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer that August. I am diligent about getting my annual mammograms and have been since age 40. Had to have biopsies on both boobs in 2012, but knock on wood, I'm still cancer free.

soldierant

(8,728 posts)
31. The other side of the coin is
Mon Apr 14, 2025, 07:17 PM
Apr 2025

represented by those - and we all know at least one (I am one in fact( who says "I'm so glad my mother (father, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, etc.) died before she/he/they had to see our country turn into a dictatorship." Dying now, regardless how close or far away it is to one's retirement, could turn out to be a blessing.

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