Conductor Downes, wife die in Swiss suicide clinic

[dkf]

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer Jill Lawless, Associated Press Writer – 53 mins ago

LONDON – 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.

The deaths are the latest in a series of high-profile cases that have spurred calls for a legal change in Britain, where assisted suicide and euthanasia are banned.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090714/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_obit_downes

[sui generis]

1. that's the way to do it

it's a shame life hurts us badly enough in oldest age that couples who have been together for 50 or 60 or more years often end up separated, sick and alone at the very end. How much better to say goodbye, take care of all of your affairs exactly the way you want and go out together. Emotionally it would be very hard, but I know I would support my parents choice in doing so if they chose it for themselves in that circumstance.

For myself - maybe in 80 more years or so I'll see how I feel about it. ;)

[dkf]

2. On one level I agree with this, but my stomach kind of fell when

I'm confronted with it in real life.

Then again I think I'd rather go this way myself.

[Warpy]

8. I only found out about the lethal dose of sleeping pills

next to my mother's bed, within reach, after she had died. I did notice that she no longer begged for my help to die but had thought that was the massive dose of antidepressants and pain killers kicking in.

Now I know that overdose, provided by my father, gave her a great deal of peace of mind. She knew she'd have a way out when it got too difficult to continue.

I couldn't do that for my mother without risking my license to practice. My dad had no such restriction. I suggested he hide the pills from the hospice people and keep them for himself. He did, but never used them.

Not allowing terminally ill and miserable people a way out is the unconscionable thing. Projecting our own fear of death onto people for whom living is far worse is simply wrong.

I can't judge anyone for taking this way out and I thanked my dad for providing the possibility to my poor mother.

[SidDithers]

3. When I go, I want to go quickly and quietly, like my grandfather...

and not screaming in terror, like the passengers on his bus :evilgrin:

Sid

[get the red out]

4. Humane laws and views of death

It would be nice if our country could cultivate some humane views of death and dying, and pass laws to legitimize those views.

[ShamelessHussy]

5. May they rest in peace

That is certainly the way I want to go out and would not wish long suffering on anyone.

[cbdo2007]

6. I don't think I'd call them "brave and courageous"

Sure, there's something to be said for someone not wanting to live through the pain of a horrible disease and whatnot but I don't think the decision to kill yourself, in any circumstance, could be viewed as "brave and courageous"

[eShirl]

7. How about other words like "dignity" and "self-determination?"

[Heidi]

10. Who better than them to decide when their lives are over?

After all, there is no indication that either Sir Edward or his wife were in any way mentally incompetent to make such a decision. Do you suppose it would have been more "brave and courageous" for them to have been warehoused in a long-term care center, for instance?

[Rebubula]

12. So...

...you would define 'Brave and courageous' as staying alive; living in agony and diminished capacity or all alone after your life partner (of 50 years) dies?

Death comes for us all...there is no escape. For someone to take that leap into the great unknown by themselves in order to spare them (and likely others) the continued pain is, in my opinion, brave and courageous (even though that is a bit redundant).

[sui generis]

13. well the point of human life is quality of life

the whole point of self-determination is to make your own choices. Why bankrupt your family's money and time struggling on to the horrible end if that's what's in store?

Why choose to be comatose or utterly befuddled on painkillers in a hospice for the last week of your life? Is life that precious? I think confusing life with sentience gets us in that pickle, but if you don't honor the choices of sentience, then you're not honoring life.

Bacteria is alive. We are not bacteria.

[Rebubula]

9. Good

People should have the right to end their lives on their own terms.

[Tim01]

11. I'm glad they had a choice. nt