A Life Well Lived

It is with great sadness that I tell you that Ben's father, Dr. John Mealey, died peacefully in his sleep Wednesday evening,  March 22rd,  of metastatic pancreatic cancer.   Ben and his brother John had arrived for a visit earlier in the week and were at Dr. John's home along with his wife, Nancy, when he died.  

Dr. John's cancer was diagnosed four years ago.   After surgery, it went into remission, giving Dr. John time to put his affairs in order, to enjoy the pleasures of daily life (including his new puppy, Chloe) and to visit with his three sons, Ben, Jeff, and John.  

This photo was taken at the end Dr. John's trip last August to Boulder where he visited with Ben and John, their wives, and his three grandchildren.  We are so thankful for memories of good times like these.  

Soon after this visit tests showed that the cancer had reappeared and had spread to his lungs.  He undertook another round of chemotherapy in Indianapolis, where he lived half the year.  Later in 2016, he declined further treatment.  He wanted to return to his part-time home in Florida and see his old colleagues and friends there.  In March 2017, he arrived in Florida and caught up with his friends.

Dr. John graduated from Brown University and then received a medical degree from Johns Hopkins University in the mid-1950's.  He practiced neurosurgery in Indianapolis, where he was associated with the University of Indiana for over 40 years. He met his first wife, Suzanne, while in medical school and they had four children before they were divorced in 1966.  He found enduring happiness in his third marriage, to Nancy, to whom he has been married for more than 20 years. 

I always enjoyed talking with Dr. John.  He was was well-read and informed and had a lively curiosity about the world and other people.   He lived a long and full life and had what we considered nowadays to be a "good death."  He was spared much of the humiliation that often comes with illness in old age and died at his home with his loved ones nearby.  We will miss him very much.