The Great Darrell K. Royal Battling Alzheimers

PlummMeanGreen · March 1, 2012

From the M & G board and a link from the Austin American-Statesman

Thoughts and prayers for Coach Royal, wife Edith and the entire UT community. Coach Royal is loved and respected far beyond the Forty Acres.

Per my request and with his most gracious acceptance, he sent a "Get Well" card to my late father , ie, a huge Royal fan (who also had what would later be determined as alzheimer's) several years before his death and that after my dad had had a light heart attack. The man never met a stranger as SUMG and I found out when we met Coach Royal at James Wood's Autoplex in Denton for an appearance.

AD Royal scheduled North Texas during the Fry era and best I can recall we were the first school of our scope and budget that ever got games with the Horns.

http://www.statesman...es-2206071.html

GMG!

Edited March 1, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen

SilverEagle · March 1, 2012

Let me be the first nit-picker to point out that it's "Alzheimer's". My mother officially died from heart disease, but Alzheimer's had already taken her long before the body gave out.

It is a cruel and insidious disease. My sympathies to Coach Royal and his family.

Edited March 1, 2012 by SilverEagle

eulessismore · March 1, 2012

Well, damn, I just hate to hear that. I never followed his career all that much, but have for a number of years considered him eminently quotable; perhaps more so than any college football coach, although Hayden Fry is hard to beat. This is my favorite:

"Old ugly is better than old nothing."

Edited March 1, 2012 by eulessismore

PlummMeanGreen · March 1, 2012

Let me be the first nit-picker to point out that it's "Alzheimer's". My mother officially died from heart disease, but Alzheimer's had already taken her long before the body gave out.

It is a cruel and insidious disease. My sympathies to Coach Royal and his family.

Thanks SE for the heads-up on my poor proof-reading and spelling which Harry was kind enough to correct. Thanks, Harry.

And I should also add for those not familiar with this disease that what our respective loved ones had while living is called dementia and can only be called Alzheimers once that is determined post-autopsy.

My own dad had dementia for 10 years before he passed away on January 1, 2000, and the autopsy confirmed Alzheimers. We actually lose our loved ones twice in this life with this terrible disease and once is almost more than one can bare.

Edited March 1, 2012 by PlummMeanGreen