... messages of condonlences expressed to me and my family. Your comforting words are much appreciated.

My brother's passing was no surprise and the family had ample time to prepare for it. John was a diabetic and a heavy smoker who suffered from mulitple blockages in his veins and arteries ... so much so, that the doctors would not do any procedures on him to unblock his several clogged arteries because they knew just the administering of anesthesia would cause John another stroke or heart attack. After several emergency transportations from the nursing home to three different hospitals over the past couple of months, John was put into a hospice care unit in Monmouth Medical Center last week where he spent the last few days of his life. The doctors even disconected his pace-maker the first day he was in hospice care, because if John did have another heart attack while in the hospital, the pace-maker would have restarted his heart and John's living will stipulated that no life saving measures be taken, including no feeding tube. He passed peacefully.

Thanks again to everyone in our extended chippers family who emailed or who posted on thechipboard.