Larry,
In 1994 my parents moved to Riverside, CA. Over the following years, my dad continued to take contract jobs. In December of 1998 he suffered the first of a series of strokes. The last one left him left side paralyzed and in a wheel chair. My mother tried taking care of him on her own, and later with a nurse. Later she became ill, and I had to place my father in a Riverside, care facility. My mom’s health continued to decline, and she suffered a stroke in September of 2001. By 2002 I moved both of my parents out of Riverside and to West Los Angeles, closer to me so I could keep on top of their medical needs and give them my full attention. My dad required skilled care nursing. My mom had recovered well enough to only need assisted living.
Over the next two years their health declined. My mom needed operations to clear her arteries. In addition to diabetes, my father started having heart problems. Eventually he had a pacemaker put in. In March of 2004 my mom was diagnosed with cancer. The cancer was advanced and had already spread to her lungs, liver, chest and brain. It was untreatable. We made her as comfortable as possible and soon thereafter placed her in hospice. She passed away on May 19th 2004. We held a funeral for here, and she was cremated. On July 4th 2004, my father went into the hospital. He was having difficulty breathing and was experiencing chest pains. He passed away on July 13th 2004, from congestive heart failure. We held a funeral for him here, and he too was cremated.
On July 16th 2005, my brother, sisters and our families all met in Hawaii. We took our parents remains and returned them to the sea off the coast of Oahu. In her final years, my mom loved visiting with her grandchildren as did my father. Ever the "Director", and even in failing health, my father found ways to improve the workings of every facility he resided in. He headed up resident groups, and even explained to the care givers how to get the most out of their contracts and benefits.
I have attached a few pictures of my parents in the later years. Please give my Aloha to everyone that knew my father. You may pass along my e-mail if they wish to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mark Paz
310.617.0825