I was informed at 5:35 today that my Dad was dead--a friend and a policeman came to my office.
We live in a small town, he on one side and me on the other about 6-8 miles away. He lives in a small studio apartment, but spends 6-7 hours a day at my little house in the country working in the yard and on the computer. On his way to my house, usually around 9:00, he always stops at the local grocery store and has his morning coffee and reads the paper.
Well, I guess he did that today, except when he got into his car he must have had a heart attack. Just leaned over on the sterring wheel and died. No one noticed for 4-5 hours. Finally around 2:30-3:00 a woman noticed that he was in the same position when she came out of the store as when she went in---she told the store manager who called 911. A friend came to the store around 4:00, noticed what was going and realized who he was and that she knew his daughter, me, and got to basically identify the body. She stayed there with him until the coroner came at 4:55 and then came with the policeman to notify me.
I can't believe that noe one noticed for all those hours. However, my 17 year-old niece asked her mother what she would have done if she had seen a similar situtation, and my sister-in-law wasn;t sure. I guess neither am I. We are so paranoid about privacy and not interfering that sometimes I think it gets in out way of being concerned.
I will miss him very much as he was my only relative in town. My two brothers and sister live out of state and my daughter is two hours away.
It's 1:00 in the morning here and I can't sleep for crying. Thanks for listening and so that it is so long---just needed to let it all out.
Thanks
We live in a small town, he on one side and me on the other about 6-8 miles away. He lives in a small studio apartment, but spends 6-7 hours a day at my little house in the country working in the yard and on the computer. On his way to my house, usually around 9:00, he always stops at the local grocery store and has his morning coffee and reads the paper.
Well, I guess he did that today, except when he got into his car he must have had a heart attack. Just leaned over on the sterring wheel and died. No one noticed for 4-5 hours. Finally around 2:30-3:00 a woman noticed that he was in the same position when she came out of the store as when she went in---she told the store manager who called 911. A friend came to the store around 4:00, noticed what was going and realized who he was and that she knew his daughter, me, and got to basically identify the body. She stayed there with him until the coroner came at 4:55 and then came with the policeman to notify me.
I can't believe that noe one noticed for all those hours. However, my 17 year-old niece asked her mother what she would have done if she had seen a similar situtation, and my sister-in-law wasn;t sure. I guess neither am I. We are so paranoid about privacy and not interfering that sometimes I think it gets in out way of being concerned.
I will miss him very much as he was my only relative in town. My two brothers and sister live out of state and my daughter is two hours away.
It's 1:00 in the morning here and I can't sleep for crying. Thanks for listening and so that it is so long---just needed to let it all out.
Thanks
Cindy
