Robert Shoots was a retired house painter who was happily remarried and enjoyed good health. He went fishing and played golf often, showing no signs of depression or other mental illness.
Yet, Shoots took his own life, and he planned for it for a while.
According to Shoots’ daughter, “All the people he knew were dying in hospitals, full of tubes, lying there for weeks, and he was just horrified by it. He was determined
to avoid that kind of death.” So, one March morning, Shoots ran a tube from the tailpipe of his beloved old Chrysler to the front seat, where he sat with a bottle of Wild Turkey. He was 80.
Shoots’ daughter was not surprised about his
suicide when she found him dead in his garage. He suffered from chronic illnesses and pain and, years earlier, he had told her of his intentions. He was certain of his decision, so she wouldn’t have even tried to dissuade him against it. She just wished that he had mentioned that he was going to do it that day, so should could’ve said a satisfying goodbye to him.
Is Suicide by Older Adults Ever a “Rational” Choice?
