As you may recall, Lil, or Dama, Linda's Mother, came to live with us in 2006. Starting then, we watched a long agonizing decline: from walker to wheelchair to bed. At first she could see and hear, but gradually she lost both those as well as her sense of smell. In the end, the only real enjoyment she had was the steady stream of imaginary visitors, and some of those were not people she particularly wanted to see.
She died in the early morning hours of January 4, 2009, when breathing became something she just quit doing.
Her obituary is here, as well as a slide show of pictures of her life.
She will be remembered for her sense of humor, which she retained until the very end. Despite everything, she never complined about her condition.