chicago103

I visited the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan in September and asked the staff if they knew how Betty Ford is doing and they said she is still living at home but has curtailed public appearances and travel outside of California. I still think she should be kept on the list for 2011, she will be 93 next year, the same age her husband was when he died.

Earlier today on wikipedia somebody entered August 31, 2010 as her date of death but it was unsourced and quickly removed. It is still not yet midnight in California so if that person had some kind of inside information we should hear something in the next few hours. Her family sure likes giving press releases very quickly. Also last we heard she went home to die and that's what she wanted and not more medical treatment, it seems her husband and family is taking extreme measures to keep her around. This woman has been through alot in her old age, she survived a massive stroke, a car accident and this whole broken hip incident as a 93 year old woman. I know the rich have access to the best medical care but this is starting to sound extreme back and forth to the hospital when she doesn't want treatment, she has even had last rights perfomed by a priest so spiritually she seems ready to go as well. By saying she was "not responsive" I assume they meant comatose or something and not her heart stopped and the paramedics CPR'd/zapped a frail 93 year old woman back to life, if the latter it would seem to be against her explicit medical wishes because it seems she doesnt want extreme measures done to keep her alive.

There seems to be some mixed messages about the current state of her health but I think the writing is on the wall she will pass this year, its just a matter of does she have hours, days, weeks or months left.

Some reports say that she is in "bad condition".

Well July 14th would have been her husband's 97th birthday, no word on whether she was present at the museum this year. Her current health status is a big mystery and will probably continue to be unless she ends up in a hospital or dies.

I read somewhere that Barack Obama visited the Ford museum and grave site last July 14 (what would have been his 96th birthday) and supposedly Betty Ford was there. She just keeps a low profile and it isnt big media news. She is 92 though and still in frail health.

What do you think was the most significant death of the recently passed decade of the 2000's and why? I should have posted this a few months ago around new year's but here it is a bit late. The nominees are: Mohammed Atta (September 11, 2001) 9/11 attack leader Ronald Reagan (June 5, 2004) Pope John Paul II (April 2, 2005) Gerald Ford (December 26, 2006) Saddam Hussein (December 30, 2006) Michael Jackson (June 25, 2009) other (please specify)

I also voted for Pope John Paul II for the same reasons and I agree with you on everything you said here.

Ok, so maybe I shouldnt have put Gerald Ford on the list and I only included him as one of the two US Presidents that died in the 2000's, presidential history and death being a hobby of mine. I also put Ford ahead of Hussein in a previous thread about the most significant death of 2006 so it only seemed fair. However in terms of the others I dont see how one would be crazy to say any of them would be at the top. Atta and Hussein were both pivital in terms of global geopolitial events in the 2000's. Reagan and John Paul II were amoung the giants of their time in world history from a political and religious standpoint respectively, JPII's death causing a change in leadership after 26 years of the world's largest religious denomination. Michael Jackson was a global pop icon whose sudden death was news around the globe for months. Also the fact that I put "other" as one of the options means that even I admit my list is not the end all be all.

My vote went to Pope John Paul II. The biggest funeral in human history according to some reports, his illness, death and up until the installation of the new Pope Benedict XVI kept him and the Catholic church in the news constantly for an entire month, his huge impact on late 20th and early 21st Century history are factors that make his selection worthy in my view for the most significant death worldwide for the 2000's decade.

Between Nodar Kumaritashvili and the death of that female Canadian bronze metal figure skater's mother Vancouver 2010 was an Olympics of death. I would dare say that Nodar Kumaritashvili"s death is the most significant death in the world of 2010 thus far, that will change as time moves further from the Winter Olympics and when almost inevitably some major world figure(s) die later this year. But in terms of newsworthiness on headlines worldwide I cant think of any death of a famous person that has gotten the coverage that this luger has had in this still young year of 2010.

I have a somewhat personal connection with Zsa Zsa Gabor in that she was born on the exact same day and year (February 6, 1917) as my grandmother and both are still alive at the age of 93. Anyways about the pictures I wouldnt say she looks good or has alot of time left just by looking at them. Consider the fact that she is in a wheelchair being pushed around and doesnt really have to do much to show up in public. Other than that she is dressed up (as is her style) in a hip and young looking fashion (for a 93 year old anyways) and that might give an illusion of an appearance of good health but overall she is unrecognizable comparted to what she was and she is still a very good death list candidate. Afterall many people in much better shape have made apperances in public in the year of their own demise. All we can really gather from these pictures is that she is conscious and presentable enough to be wheeled around in public.

I suggest that we keep Betty Ford (the late former President Gerald Ford's wife) even though there has been virtually no real news about here in three years since her husband's funeral. The fact that there is so little news could be a sign, even when she turned 90 there was no significant news, not even after doing a google search. She is now 91 and will turn 92 this coming April. There is no indication she has communicated with the President of First Lady Obama even though even the nearly as old Nancy Reagan has. If anything we should take Nancy Reagan off the list in order to keep Betty Ford on it, I think Nancy Reagan will be around a few more years. Betty Ford will die before any other US President or First Lady. Other US political nominations: Strongly reccomend Rober Byrd: 92 year old senator from West Virginia has had a staph infection this past year, has been seen in a wheelchair alot and the death of his close friend Ted Kennedy couldnt have been good for him. At Obama's innauguation luncheon he also collapsed shortly after Ted Kennedy did. Wild card, somewhat reccomend George H.W. Bush: 85 year old former president and father to George W Bush; on one hand he skydived on his 85th birthday on June 12th and looked good but on the other hand in late August he was the only former President to be absent from Ted Kennedy's funeral with little explanation besides some media sources citing mobility or health problems and the feeling that George W Bush can represent the Bush famiy.

Pope Benedict XVI at age 82 is much much healthier than John Paul II was at 82, I think there is a good chance this pope could make 90. He isnt fodder for death list yet IMO.

Today is the third anniversary of her husband Gerald Ford's death and she has been MIA from the public since the day of his funeral. She is 91 going on 92, I think she should stay on the list, she has fared better than I thought but I still think she is just lingering on by a thread and will go before any other former president or first lady. If we need to take anybody off the list maybe we should take Nancy Reagan off, she has had a few health issues being in her late 80's but I think she will be around for a few more years yet. With Betty Ford I strongly feel if we take her off we will miss a hit.

Ted Kennedy is dead, this is huge. He might even trump Michael Jackson's death, the death of every Kennedy brother since JFK has been huge, RFK was probably surpassed by MLK Jr.'s death for 1968 though. At the very least Ted Kennedy's is a close #2 for sure. The summer of death began with a bang (Michael Jackson and others) and ends with a bang (Ted Kennedy) and depending on what your personal definition of the end of summer is it is still not over. Maybe 2009 is one of those years not just known for one big death but several, but I never recall a summer where so many prominent people have died, usually more die around the holiday season. This is also the second Kennedy death in August! Eunice Kennedy Shriver died just two weeks ago on August 11th!

Summer 2009 so far has been the summer of death, not so much for us although we have had fairly good success but rather just as far as famous deaths in general. Just think of all the famous people that have croaked since the summer solstice.

I think it is a sign he didn't show for his sister's funeral, he and his sister Jean are the only living siblings of JFK.

Maybe he is coming to get her . Seriously though the fact that she is giving interviews and communicating with the current President and First Lady is a sign she will probably be around for a little while still. Betty Ford will go before she does.

Woman who tried to assasinate Gerald Ford released from prison No statement from Betty Ford in any of the articles I have read about this. That may not be all that surprising since usually famous people don't respond to matters like this but it just points out the fact that the man who tried to kill her husband has been released and she has not appeared in public in two years and seven months and the last time she has personally released a public statement about anything and not just a message relayed from one of her children was two years ago upon the death of Lady Bird Johnson. It bodes well for her that there hasn't been any news of recent hospitalizations but I also heard a rumor that she is under hospice care. President Barack Obama has been in contact with all the living Presidents and their first ladies and even Nancy Reagan over a misunderstood comment he made about her husband months ago. Also in an interview this June Nancy Reagan upon the fifth anniversary of her husband's death mentioned what she thinks of a few things Obama has done and also mentioned that Michelle Obama has also called her about advice. The Obamas however have never communicated with Betty Ford to my knowledge nor has there been any statement from her about what she thinks of the new President and First Lady or what her husband would have thought. It could just be that the Ford's aren't as newsworthy as the Reagan's and/or are more private but I also think her health has a lot to do with it as well.

If it wasn't for Michael Jackson his death would have been the most significant of the year easily.

Depends on your view on 'significant' - JP2 and RR were expected, so I wouldn'd class them as significant deaths. MJ's certainly wasn't expected, and I wold probably class that one as significant. Three Four significants in one post. Howzat Mono? Well my definition of "significant" in this context of deaths is multi-faceted. The amount of influence one had on the world in one's life is one factor, another factor is the manner of death and how shocking it is, another factor is does the death cause a change of leadership/influence in whatever sphere of influence they had. I don't have a formula down pat to "measure" the significance of deaths but I just go with my gut and try to be as diverse as possible taking into account all political, religious, celebrity, scientific, etc. deaths in a given year/decade. In that sense I would say one can make a strong case that Michael Jackson's death was more significant than Ronald Reagan's but not more than Pope John Paul II in this decade. Ronald Reagan was a person who had a tremendous impact on the world, particularly in the 1980's, he was in a sense and icon of the 1980's just like Michael Jackson just political instead of music/celebrity. However Reagan was a former President, had alzhiemer's disease for a decade, was 93 years old and expected to die for years, thus the news was plastered with coverage for about a week after his death until his funeral but it was all about his legacy, there was no shock nor an ongoing discussion about how he died or what will happen to his "empire" like Michal Jackson, Reagan was a former President and thus his death did not cause a change of leadership. Pope John Paul II was in ill health for many years and while his death was not a shock to really anyone his death resulted in a change of leadership in the largest religious denomination in the world. He had a tremendous impact like Reagan if not more so on world events and from his death until the election of Benedict XVI as his replacement the news was covering JPII, his legacy and the Catholic church. I read that Michael Jackson's funeral had one billion viewers worldwide, that is huge but I think I remember that it was even a higher figure for JPII's funeral, not to mention it has been quoted in numerous sources that JPII's funeral was the biggest in world history, with a million plus people clamored in central Rome. His funeral was also one of the largest gathering of world leaders, certainly for a funeral, many countries around the world had days of mourning for his death. So I would say that for the 2000's John Paul II's death was the most significant followed by Michael Jackson and then Ronald Reagan.

Let me state the obvious. 2009 Michael Jackson One of the top three deaths of the entire decade I would say behind Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan.

Revised 2008: Charlton Heston 2007: Bezanir Bhutto 2006: Gerald Ford 2005: Pope John Paul II 2004: Ronald Reagan 2003: Bob Hope 2002: Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother 2001: Muhhamed Atta 2000: Sir Alec Guinness 1999: King Hussein 1998: Frank Sinatra 1997: Princess Diana 1996: Carl Sagan 1995: Yitzhak Rabin 1994: Richard M. Nixon 1993: Audrey Hepburn 1992: Sam Walton 1991: Dr. Suess 1990: Sammy Davis Jr. 1989: Lucille Ball 1988: Roy Orbison 1987: Jackie Gleason 1986: Cary Grant 1985: Orson Wells 1984: Richard Burton 1983: David Niven 1982: Princess Grace Kelly 1981: Anwar Sedat 1980: John Lennon 1979: John Wayne 1978: Pope John Paul I 1977: Elvis Presley 1976: Mao Zedong 1975: Moe Howard 1974: Georges Pompidou 1973: Lyndon Baines Johnson 1972: Harry S. Truman 1971: Nikita Khrushchev 1970: Charles de Gaulle 1969: Dwight D. Eisenhower 1968: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 1967: Spencer Tracy 1966: Walt Disney 1965: Winston Churchill 1964: Herbert Hoover 1963: John F. Kennedy 1962: Marilyn Monroe 1961: Ernest Hemingway 1960: Clark Gable 1959: Frank Lloyd Wright 1958: Pope Pius XII Most significant by decade 2000's: Pope John Paul II (thus far but nearly impossible to beat IMO) 1990's: Princess Diana 1980's: John Lennon 1970's: Elvis 1960's: John F. Kennedy

I agree completely, Charlton Heston is the most significant death of 2008 thus far.