Great thread!

My maternal grandmother died at 43. She was described by some as being the life of the party, teaching my uncles how to do the twist and sneaking them drinks, etc. The years before she died, however, she "took to her bed," seldom coming out to cook or clean, ignoring my mother, drinking constantly. Everyone said she had a broken heart, because her sons both went to Vietnam. Her mood picked up in the last month when she decided to make my mom a graduation dress, sewing around the clock, never sleeping. She died of a massive heart attack. No one acknowledged that she might have been mentally ill. Sad, really.