Why????

I've mentioned on another thread that I was doing a '60 Buick for my friend Mike, a car his son Chad had bought for him.

Well, some sad news today... Chad died last night in his sleep from a massive heart attack. What a shock, I'm still having trouble believing he's actually gone. Chad was only 41 years old and one of the nicest guys you'd ever car to meet. Always helping others, doing projects with his Dad, and just generally being one heck of a nice guy. As to be expected, Mike isn't taking this real well. Nobody should ever have to bury their kids!!! Sometimes I just don't understand why things happen the way they do.......

RIP Chad, we're really gonna miss you!

Thoughts and prayers go out for Mike - - - - I have 2 sons and 2 stepsons and I can't imagine loosing any of them.

Prayers going up!!
Sorry to hear the news!

So sorry to learn of this. Just another reminder of how fragile our time here is. The Buick becomes even more special, just as your friend Chad was to all who knew him. Pass along our sympathies from your "family" here to Chad's father.

You usually cannot explain why bad things happen to good people outside of it is a part of life. I will be praying for you and your friend that you may be comforted during this difficult time.

Very sad, Chad is home rest in piece, God bless Chad.

Sorry to hear of such an untimely death, Dave, and from your description he sounded like a great guy, and a great son. As you said, it's a terrible thing for a parent to lose a child, and it's one of the hardest things to deal with as a parent.

Please pass on our condolences to Mike from us down here,Dave..I know what you mean about the shock of someone so young passing before time..Last year,one of our NSRA friends had a brain malfunction,of sorts,and die at a similar age,,another friend,and NSRA member,went just days before his 59th birthday,of a massive heart attack,and six days later,I went to another friends funeral,who had a stroke,at the age of 47,,then barely two weeks later,another rodder we knew,succumbed to a kidney failure,,,after spending a chunk of his life on dialysis machine,and two transplants..(49 years old)..You start feeling a bit vulnerable after all of this..Nothing we can do,but keep in contact with our family and friends,regularly..Its hard to understand,Dave,,we all feel for those around us when it happens..Cant do much else,apart from hoping that they go without pain..

Sorry to hear this Dave. Strange, my Brother-In-Law, also 41 at the time, died in his sleep from a heart attack. (This happened back in the late 80's). He was a big guy, not overweight & strong as an ox, but I guess that doesn't always mean much.

Thanks guys, tough dealing with this one I guess because of his age.

Sorry for your friend Mike and his family. You're right, parents shouldn't have to bury their children, but they do. I guess all we can do is enjoy those we love for whatever time we have them in our lives.

Chad was forty one? That's a terrible thing and, as the pastor mentioned, another example of bad things happening to good people.

I'm sorry to hear of your friend's (and your) loss, Dave. We mere mortals can't understand things like that, but we can pray for help for his family. Their pain would have to seem unbearable at this time.

Jim

Thoughts and prayers coming your way - I agree, we should not have to bury our children - my heart goes out to Mike as well as encouragement for you to hold on the the good memories of times spent with Chad.

We do love you here, Dave! I certainly don't know why the good Lord allows some to go through more heart-break than others but know that you'll come through this one.

My sincerest condolences to you and Chad's family,
Glenn

Sadly Glenn, we tend to blame our Lord God for what has happened but it is not Him at all as Satan is running this show at the moment but his time is very very short now. I realise this fact doesn't help Mike and his family at the moment but as promised in the Bible, we are reassured of the resurrection through the death of Jesus Christ. My prayers to Chad's family also.

Very sad for sure Dave.
That would be a hard one to take knowing the father and the son.
Our prayers are with you and his family.
Sorry for your loss.
Kurt & Denise

Dave sorry to be reading and hearing this news. Like many above have said, it's very hard to bury a son or daughter. My mom was the first to go in our family followed by her oldest brother, yet my grandma lived many more years and passed at 94 years of age. Stuff like this leaves me sad for the life he could have shared with his dad. Take care friend. Steve.

My heart aches for Mike on this Father's Day. He's got to be hurting like never before. I stepped up the special prayers this morning thinking about what he must be going thru.

A sad story, since he seems too young for his time to run out! Unfortunately, we all get things in life that we would not choose! :-( I also lost a son way too young.

I recently helped a father and son on an AMX project. The father... a long time friend... died a couple months later. I was honored to be a part of the enjoyment they were finding together. That helps to see it as more then JUST a tragic time.

Your friend's son was able to enjoy doing something with his dad until the end. That is not a bad way to end his story. RIP

Dave, have you spoken to Mike lately?
If so, how's he holding up?
Yesterday while I was hanging out with my 2 sons,
I thought of Mike several times and sent up a quick prayer for him.

Mike is just not doing well at all.... Doesn't want any company, won't return calls, etc. His daughter and her kids are still with him, so we just keep praying and hoping for the best....

That's about all you can do - - Sherry's sister is dying of cancer and she doesn't what "ANYONE" to come see her or make any contact with her and it's tearing Sherry's heart out. She needs to hold her sister one more time and tell her that she loves her but her husband has shut the family out of all this so far.

I'm sure that Mike knows that you're there if he needs you and sometimes that is a very important thing to know. A good friend of mine told me years ago that "grief and misery" are very "personal" things and that no 2 people handled them the same way - - - - - the longer I live, the more I realize how true that is.

Yeah Emm, I've known Mike for many years. He's always had his own unique way of handling difficulties and bad situations. My pal Lyle and I talked this morning and agreed that about all we could do was let Mike handle Chad's death in his own way, and hope he'll be able to get through it. Since Mike's divorce 20+ years ago Chad has not only been his son but his best friend. I did spend some time yesterday with my friend Pastor Terry and we talked the whole thing through, heck it's not been easy for me to accept Chad's death so I can't even imagine what it's like for Mike. As I said earlier, no parent should ever have to bury their child..........

Good to hear Mike has a daughter to tend to his soul, no matter how strong we may think someone is, this sort of thing can leave some folks very distraught and vulnerable to unthinkable decisions. I'm sure you who know and care for Mike know you need to be there even if it seems intrusive.

The family had a very private service for Chad today.....Perhaps the healing can start now????

Thanks to all of you for the help, advice, and support. I guess losing friends is just another of the perils of growing old.....

Yep. My wife lost her Mom just yesterday early in the morning. She seemed young at 72, but had a long battle with breast cancer. I hope the healing can start with her and the rest of the family now.

No consolation but, as you know, she's in a better place now. My wife's sister is dying from a long battle with breast cancer also and we are expecting that "phone call" any minute or day now. We have been praying for your family, Steven, and for Chad's family every night - - please offer one up for Sherry's sister as she is suffering so much and it's tearing my wife's heart out.
meller

Meller will do and thanks!

X2 Stovens, there's no words I can offer other than my condolenses.... I'm sure she's at peace and there is no more pain or worry.

Those long illnesses are terrible on everyone! Hate to see good people suffer through a long illness. My condolences to all.

Steve,we are sorry to hear that..Emm,likewise..Its not good to have family suffer with a nasty disease like cancer..I suppose I should be grateful,that my own father left us because,basically,old age caught up with him,,and he had been battling a bad cold only weeks before..And,yes..that dreaded phonecall..I woke up with a start at 1.15 AM on that morning,not knowing what it was that woke me..Then the phonecall at 6.45AM........:(

Robin really sorry to hear this. Yeah the Monday 6 a.m. call was a jolt awake, followed by sadness.

Any of us who've been in these situations know about phone calls, especially the ones at odd hours. You begin to develope a dread almost at each ring. When the loved ones life ends so does that dread. Some will feel guilt about having that relief, even though it's a perfectly natural and honest feeling. Try to keep that in mind when helping your survining loved ones through the grief period.