Sacramento woman, 96, gives family the gift of planning her own peaceful death
Jeanada Nolan left her family an extraordinary gift: She planned and expressed her end-of-life wishes. But while many Americans say they want to die without aggressive medical care, that's often not what happens.
Attorney Tom Nolan and his wife, Susan, at their Palo Alto home, sort photos and personal essays by his mother, Jeanada Nolan, a month after her death. Hospitalized with pneumonia at age 96, Jeanada Nolan chose pain medicine but no other medical intervention. She died quietly days later.
Jeanada Nolan, pictured with her son, Tom Nolan, then 16, helped create California's master plan for preschool education in the 1970s.
Jeanada Nolan
Jeanada Nolan, with her son, Tom, then 10. He says her end-of-life decisions taught him, "There comes a time you've had a really, really full life, and the quality of life ahead isn't something you want. It won't get better. She was in pain."