ABSTRACT
In his final book, Edwin S. Shneidman explored the criteria for what he called
a “good-enough” death (Shneidman, 2008). Tired, ill, lonely for Jeanne, his life
partner, the notion of imminent death had been on his mind for several years and,
in fact, he died just two days after his 91st birthday, less than a year after the book
was released. After celebrating his birthday with his four sons, he died quietly in
his sleep in the home where he and Jeanne had raised their family. His caretaker
told me that she had left his bedside for only 20 minutes to prepare herself a meal
and, when she returned, he was gone. “Alone,” I said. “It’s the way he wanted it.”
