He was only 52, but he was an avid runner (10 miles/day), and regularly competed in marathons. He also played a decade of minor league baseball. When dementia/Alzheimer's began to set in, they thought that he would last a long time because he was in such fantastic shape. He passed away in less than a year, because he fortunately had signed some DNR paperwork, so they didn't do much to save him when he became ill in the nursing home. He also happened to be coach Steve Clark's FIL.