The Lonely Death of George Bell

Apartment of George Bell after his unattended death in 2014

This is a poignant article that appeared in the Sunday, October 18, 2015 New York Times.  It covers many aspects of death and dying and, although it is overlong, it is rewarding to read.

They found him in the living room, crumpled up on the mottled carpet. The police did. Sniffing a fetid odor, a neighbor had called 911. The apartment was in north-central Queens, in an unassertive building on 79th Street in Jackson Heights.

George Bell, a life-long bachelor, died unattended at age 72 in Queens, New York.  If you make it through this article you will learn much and have much to ponder.

Deborah Alecson writes: This is a remarkable piece of investigative reporting that starts with the smell of death from within an apartmant to the life of a man, George Bell, who died ultimately alone amongst accumulated clutter and filth.  We also learn about the "players" involved in this kind of death from the people who rummage through his belongings for important documents and for clues of people in his circle, to the handling of his body and its final cremation.  This is a deeply human story placed in the heart of what a "death system" is in our urban culture.

The Letters on this article are also worth reading.