Conductor Downes, wife die in Swiss suicide clinic

[BlueJessamine]

Source: Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — British conductor Edward Downes, a longtime stalwart at the Royal Opera and maestro of the first-ever performance at Sydney's iconic Opera House, has died with his wife Joan at an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland. He was 85 and she was 74.

The couple's children said Tuesday that the couple died "peacefully and under circumstances of their own choosing" on Friday at a Zurich clinic run by the group Dignitas.

"After 54 happy years together, they decided to end their own lives rather than continue to struggle with serious health problems," said a statement from the couple's son and daughter, Caractacus and Boudicca.

The statement said Downes, who became Sir Edward when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, had become almost blind and increasingly deaf. His wife, a former dancer, choreographer and television producer, had devoted years to working as his assistant. British newspapers reported that she had been diagnosed with cancer.



Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gZ6RAogxyzEyJkN11Zkw-lgnH9igD99E7JHG0

[fbahrami]

1. truly civilized

A life dedicated to art and family and a peaceful death. What more to ask for?

[Froward69]

20. Agreed.

... Not forced into accepting "long term health care", Hospice or leaving massive amounts of debt to their children.
no living without one another.


Peaceful.
we should all be so lucky.

[Dulcinea]

48. Eventually we will all die from something.

They're lucky that they got to choose how to make their final exit. I hope I get to make that choice when my time comes.

Nothing terrifies me more that a long, slow decline that I can't stop while I wait for the inevitable. My MIL wasted away in a nursing home for several years before she finally died last year. No thanks!

[Ohio Joe]

2. RIP - nt

[Gator_Matt]

3. As horrible as death may be, dying together would bring some comfort

The thought of separation from someone after so many years is gut-wrenching. This allowed them to remain together to the end. Depressing, but presumably more comforting for them to die together. I definitely empathize.

[GliderGuider]

4. Depending on one's beliefs, dying together could be a joyous thing.

Death itself need not be horrible, though some forms of dying certainly are. Many people, especially those who have strived to live in self-awareness and in harmony with their world, see death either as a natural event or as a portal to a greater mystery. As a result their reactions tend to occupy the range from acceptance to anticipation, rather than the other end of the spectrum from terror to grudging inevitability.

We in the West tend to view death with horror, because we see ourselves as separate from nature, but also because our emphasis on living from the ego gives full emotional rein to the ego's primal fear of annihilation.

Congratulations to Edward and Joan for a reasoned, brave and compassionate decision.

[AlbertCat]

10. We in the West tend to view death with horror,

This isn't a Western thing! Death most of the time is horrible. Accidents, diseases, pain, deterioration.... sudden or slow it can be gruesome and bloody and HORRIBLE! Death is viewed with fear because, though DEATH is natural and, well, you have no choice....DYING can be a bitch. This is universal. It is not some western "failing" to view death with horror!

Suicide in the West is viewed with horror. Suicide is viewed as a crime in the West because that damn god of Abraham said you couldn't do such a thing. That's the Western problem.

Having said that.... RIP Edward & Joan. If that was what they wanted, so be it. Their suffering is over.

[Taverner]

21. Death is the enemy. It will ALWAYS be the enemy.

RIP Edward And Joan - at least they went out happy

But death IS the enemy

[GliderGuider]

28. It's hard to keep a positive outlook when the thing you define as an "enemy" always wins...

Much better to define it as a friend or at least as a neutral agency. You'll spend a lot more of your life happy that way.

[Taverner]

29. Not me - I will go kicking and screaming

Fuck death

[brentspeak]

31. It's hard to keep a positive outlook when one is dead

It's hard to do much of anything when one is dead. Therefore, the goal is to remain alive. I do understand, however, that living in a great deal of unendurable physical pain while terminally ill isn't exactly "living".

[eppur_se_muova]

33. Decay is the enemy, death is its final victory. nt

[marshall]

36. Many a widow in India has lovingly followed her husband in death by joining him on the funeral pyre

A ceremony of love and tradition. We may not understand it, but it is an old and accepted custom.

[katkat]

44. India - bad example

The Indian thing about women throwing themselves on their husband's funeral pyres undermines your example. Most of the time they had no choice. If they didn't do it voluntarily they were thrown on.

[Paladin]

5. An Honorable Finale. God Grant Them Both Peace. (n/t)

[fascisthunter]

6. wow...

[katkat]

7. voluntary?

I have to say this creeps me out. I wonder how much pressure there was on either one by the other.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. Not much, most likely; she had 'between weeks and months' to live

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23719250-details/BBC+conductor+Sir+Edward+Downes+and+wife+commit+suicide/article.do

and I doubt a major conductor is the kind of person to be pushed into a decision he's not sure about.

[endarkenment]

24. How about none?

You get back to me when the Swiss start throwing a screaming spouse onto the funeral pyre.

[katkat]

45. ignoring

You're ignoring psychological pressure.

[endarkenment]

46. You are ignoring the facts in this particular event.

but do carry on.

[iris27]

51. Uh...it was HER diagnosis of terminal cancer that sparked the decision.

He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, but just had poor general quality of life and didn't want to go on living without her. I doubt there was psychological pressure on either side. My partner and I have both expressed similar wishes in the past when discussing hypothetical futures like this one, so their choice seems entirely reasonable to me.

[WriteDown]

8. 74 is young. nt.

[prolesunited]

12. But if you have cancer

and don't want to suffer, it may be enough.

[demigoddess]

37. depends on your genes

my father died at 51, my dad at 64, a friend is dying at 63, another at 75, Most of my relatives never last beyond early eighties. 74 sounds like a good run to some of us.

[PassingFair]

9. How sad.

But how civilized and loving.

I hope I never have to make a choice
like that, but I am glad that the
choice is available to those that do.

Poignant deaths for the family, but
they have the surety that it was how
their Mom and Dad WANTED IT.

Caractacus and Boudicca!

I'm sure they feel lucky to have
had them as parents!

[boobooday]

11. Going together, peacefully

sounds better than suffering & dying one at a time. RIP

[madville]

13. That is an awesome way to go

I hope we have that option here in 40 years when I may need it, what a great way to go on your own terms. Much better than getting eaten alive by cancer while stoned on morphine in hospice care. I've always been in favor of people having the option to control their own destiny and this is the ultimate control over one's self. Hope it gets legalized here one day.

[crim son]

14. Sad the way extraordinary lives end the way all lives do.

I'm glad they left together and with dignity.

[hunter]

15. Give me enough drugs to be comfortable...

I'm not planning on dying anytime soon but I'll be sort of curious to see what dying a "natural" death is all about. My personal dignity can take a few hits.

But I don't want to die like my grandmothers -- they both had the cancers hacked or poisoned out of them at an accelerating rate until there wasn't enough left of them to continue living. That was a barbaric way to go.

Maybe my doctors will use maggots:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=228&topic_id=53834&mesg_id=53834

That could be useful for keeping away some of my more annoying visitors:

"Wanna see something cool?

Boring person reading Scripture to me loses their lunch...

[Libertyfirst]

39. Best laugh I've had today. n/d

[NashVegas]

47. +1

Having control over everything just takes the fun out of it all, don't it?

[hamsterjill]

16. Still debating over this

I am still debating this one. But I do know one thing - I think it's a positive thing that it's available for people who choose it. And I think it's appropriate that they be quieried so that it's determined that they are of sound mind when the decision is made.

I'm just not sure whether I, myself, would ever make that choice. It would depend on how much pain, etc. there was, I'm sure.

[K8-EEE]

17. I hate the way most of my elderly friends have been treated in their last years

The endless, awful hospitalization and "treatments" to people who are dying scare the beejezus out of me. We're all gonna die but they come after all your dignity, quality of life and money at the end -- the true "death tax" is what they do to people the last few years of their life.

[lumberjack_jeff]

18. "Suicide clinic"

heh.

[Vidar]

22. Vaya con Dios.

[roguevalley]

23. awww. bless them. RIP.

[Blue_Tires]

25. i'm totally in support of this...

as long as they aren't recycled and repackaged as a popular food:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbJTBBoDFH0&feature=related

[hedgehog]

32. That's what I was thinking of as well. There is a case to be made

that if part of the reasoning was to save money for the estate, it's not that far from Soylent Green. I can see people being offered money to die now rather than continue to burden the health care system.

[mamaleah]

35. That would be repulsive.

Offering people money to no longer be a burden would not come from a civilized society at all.

[enigmatic]

26. Safe Passage to both

RIP.

[frebrd]

27. I never realized the Swiss were quite so civilized.

Good for them!

[micraphone]

34. Amen to that...

Poll after poll here in New Zealand consistently show that fully 75% of our population (still) want legalised suicide. Hell, even a famous and well respected dying poli went back to Parliament one last time and pleaded for some form of dignified self determination.

The hypocrites all stood and applauded him and said what a great guy he was - but that's all. No review, nothing. They don't want to go near it.

It obviously takes huge guts to do your JOB - do what the PEOPLE want.

[Endangered Specie]

42. you do know they didn't have womens suffrage until the 70s?

yes, 1970s

[frebrd]

50. Yes, I am aware of that......

I guess that's why I'm surprised they're so civilized on this issue.

[xchrom]

30. Peace Be with their family and friends. nt

[Mari333]

38. Birth and Death are not 2 different states..

Birth and death are not two different states, but they are different aspects of the same state.
good for them for knowing when it was time to stop using their bodies.

[iris27]

40. That is exactly how I'd want to go. Take a pill or a shot, snuggle together and

fall asleep for the last time. Ought to be able to save enough for a one-way trip to Switzerland over the next 40-50 years...

Kudos to them and RIP.

[BreweryYardRat]

41. Quality of life trumps continued breathing, far as I'm concerned.

Good for them not wanting to hang on and suffer.

[Endangered Specie]

43. Since when did you need a clinic to off yourself?

[dugaresa]

49. First I support their decision to end their lives this way. Second

I think their kids names are really cool, taken from British history. They were apparently a pretty amazing couple.

[AzDar]

52. On their own terms... Beautiful!

O8)