Another colleague dies soon after retirement

That’s a lot of death, OP. I hope you’re okay.

I'm sorry for the loss of your former co-worker, OP. I hope it's not a true cancer cluster.

I'm sorry for your lose, OP.

People have to make time for what they want to do while they are young. You don't want to be one of those 60 or 70 year olds stumbling across the Acropolis, or, worse, never getting there because they're dead.

So, this means that all I have to do is retire?

I also retired two years ago, then about six months ago, I got a prostate cancer diagnosis. I had prostatectomy surgery a few months ago, and I'm praying I'll remain cancer free.

But I'm also going to start traveling more and enjoying my life, because who knows how long I'll be around? It was a big wakeup call.

don't drink the water at work OP.

I know a couple who retired to Palm Springs - late 50's and really looking forward to their lives after being in tech world for so long. One of them got pancreatic cancer - dead 3 months later.

Do it NOW. Traveling when you're older is more difficult. I've been doing bucket-list trips every other year for awhile now. Yeah, it's a little pricey - but I did it.

I have never (well, almost never) regretted traveling - despite the monetary setback at the time.

And even some trips that had a lot of frustrations (rain, travel delays, bad sleep, etc) - you do NOT remember that. You remember the best parts of the trip.

Meh. For every sad sack story like this there are a plenty of stories of along golden retirements. I just joined my aunt and uncle who are in their 80s on a tour of the Alps. They been traveling for 25 years and they were yachting into their 70s, too. They are in fine form.

OP Call Jessica Fletcher. I suspect foul play!

OP is writing from HR to perpetuate the myth that working until you fucking drop dead is the only thing that keep you alive (unless of course your salary and benefits become a drag and which case HR fires your old ass.)

Those people who say that 'Oh, I wouldn't know what to do with all that the free time!' The ones who worry how the TPS reports will ever get done without them...they probably deserve to die.

[quote] And even some trips that had a lot of frustrations (rain, travel delays, bad sleep, etc) - you do NOT remember that. You remember the best parts of the trip.

Speak for yourself.

It's crazy that the GOP wants to extend retirement age to get Social Security and Medicare from 65 to 70. The average mortality for American men is 74. The GOP only wants you to get benefits for 4 years and then die.

When I worked for a big company back in my 20s, there was a sales manager who’d been there 30 years.

They laid him off. As he was exiting the building, he went into cardiac arrest and collapsed to the sidewalk. Dead.

Get away from me you jinx!

Way too many people give work their all, delay healthcare, do everything for everyone else, and then don't get to enjoy their retirement.

I'm not saying anyone should be a selfish boor, but if you don't have work/life balance, no employer will willingly present it to you.

Willingly present hole to you?

Sorry for your lost OP. Have you called Erin Brokavich?

R12, full retirement for people born from 1960 and later is currently 67 and has been for quite awhile. People still can start collecting at 62, but the monthly amount is substantially reduced. The Republican proposal is to raise the full benefits age to 69. The argument is that changes need to be made to keep SS fiscally solvent, who knows.

I had a teacher from high school die about 3 months after retirement. He was a bit of a dud as a teacher and didn’t get much respect, but he was an okay guy. He got hit by a car while riding his bike and apparently died instantly. Or quickly. He should have enjoyed his retirement not having to teach a bunch of shitty students on a daily basis, and here the universe had other plans.

I am 18 months into retirement ( am 64) , yikes! There is not a day that goes by that I don’t that God I retired when I did. Holy shit, I have heard of this phenomena of folks dying right after retirement, makes me sad. Hope i’m not next. i have too much going on right now and not ready to hang it up

Never stop working

All of the people I know who completely retired at 65 lived for 15 or 20 years, none of them did anything special. I might work part-time after turning 67 in three years, it's very possible with my profession. The mistake people make is saying they'll do something when they retire. Do it now, even if in a minimal form. I'm very glad I made international travel a priority all my life. I'll spend my golden years exploring the US.

I am about to turn 64 an didn't plan on retiring for several years. I was having so much fun at work and loved my job. But lately it has become nightmarish with restructuring, new idiot leadership, etc. I don't know what to do. I want to stay until max benefits, etc but not sure I can take it. My net worth is 2.7 million but I know I'll die if I stop working.

A co-worker retired at 55, looking forward to a long retirement. And why not, her mother was then in her late 80s & her father was in his early 90s. She loved The Amazing Race & talked about applying with a friend to be a contestant. But within three weeks of retirement this lifelong non-smoker was diagnosed with lung cancer. She was dead not even twelve months into her retirement.

The theme of this thread:

They retired, then they died.

[quote]The mistake people make is saying they'll do something when they retire. Do it now, even if in a minimal form. I'm very glad I made international travel a priority all my life.

That was definitely my approach. My studies and later my work were in a profession that would never be especially lucrative and further I passed up opportunity for freedom to travel for many years. I might have been more ambitious, not have retired early,and have put more aside for a more comfortable future, but I did okay and I bargained for loads of leave time along the way so that my travels wouldn't all be delayed until retired and old.

Everyone makes his own decision and some people have much less choice in the matter than I did, but I'm glad to have to spent months travelling each year for many years before retiring a few years earlier than might have been ideal. It's been a happy result or me, and to my mind better than had I been super cautious and nose to the grindstone for all those years and more -- and with no certainty of having the time or good health to enjoy my retirement. But of course chance has its hand in these things.