Wisconsin: Elderly Couple Commits Suicide Together

Description: [of the article from WTMJ-TV]

78-year-old Katherine 'Kitty' Gute was losing her battle with Alzheimer's. Her husband, Daniel, was a 79-year-old retired urologist who feared living alone in a nursing home. So together, they took their own lives.

The deaths were no surprise to cardiologist Dr. Bruce Wilson, a long-time family friend and supporter. "He discussed with me the fact that he was contemplating this, but I had nothing to do with the planning," Wilson told TODAY'S TMJ4 reporter Tom Murray. "I think what Dr. and Mrs. Gute would like for us to ponder in their recent action is, does it have to be that way? Do we have to always try to prolong life at any cost?"

The Gutes were found by their daughter in their garage. They were sitting in a car. It appears they suffocated or inhaled a lethal amount of helium gas, according to a medical examiner's report.

[There is information in the Notes section below.]
[There are other related stories in the Links section below.]

Links:

To read the full article click on one of these links, both of which go to the same destination. A short link is provided for the convenience of readers. Also, readers may search and browse past and future advisories on the web (see bottom.)

  • http://tinyurl.com/38hb3bt

  • http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/98970679.html

    Also see:

  • Wisconsin: Elderly River Hills Couple Chooses To Die Together [WISN.com]
    http://www.wisn.com/news/24345740/detail.html

    Dr. Daniel and Katherine Gute committed suicide on Sunday.

    The couple's deaths may have stunned the community, but not the family. Their doctor said he's been talking to the couple about planning their deaths for more than a decade, and that in their deaths, they hoped to spark conversation. "This is not a surprise to me; I just didn't know when," family friend Dr. Bruce Wilson said. Sunday night, Wilson got the call he'd waited for for years, he said. Dan and Kitty Gute were dead.

    "Dr. Gute was a retired urologist and a sailor, and Mrs. Gute was an avid tennis player and a championship golfer," Wilson said.

Source:

Murray, Tom. "Elderly River Hills Couple Commits Suicide Together". WTMJ-TV. Story Updated: Jul 22, 2010. <www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/98970679.html>. WTMJ-TV, 720 East Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212, U.S.A.

Tags:

Tags (or keywords) briefly indicate some major topics of the report.

  • suicide

  • helium

  • Wisconsin

  • U.S.A.

Notes:

  • The July 2010 issue of The Voice is available. [Dying With Dignity Canada]
    http://dwdcanada.blogspot.com/2010/07/below-is-link-to-our-july-2010-issue-of.html

    The focus of this issue is on our Annual General Meeting, held on June 05 in Toronto, with summaries of most presentations and questions asked. We were happy to have had almost 60 members attend our AGM - however, many more were not able to attend. For those who were not in attendance, we hope you find this summary full and inclusive of topics discussed at the three hour meeting.

    If you were among the members at the AGM, there is also new information for you in this 8 page issue: new Canadian cancer statistics, international news, new Canadian polls, book reviews and more.

    [A PDF of The Voice is available from a link on the above web page.]

ID:

The EuthaNEWSia ID for this advisory is: enid201007220864.
Mailed: Thursday, July 22, 2010 14:49:06 -0600
at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Etcetera:

EuthaNEWSia is a free Canadian news advisory service covering end-of-life issues such as right to die, assisted suicide, and euthanasia. EuthaNEWSia is produced by the Right to Die Society of Canada which works toward a good death for all, including open, regulated and equitable access to euthanasia and assisted suicide. The editor is Michael Dawson <editor@euthanewsia.ca>. 

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